


Dissonant Whispers

by ANormalGeek



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21804373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANormalGeek/pseuds/ANormalGeek
Summary: Nicole's neglectful hippie parents send her to camp over the Christmas holidays. Which would be fine for Nicole if it didn't mean yet another new place, people she doesn't know and fucking ghosts that no one seems willing to talk to her about.Aka the Haunted Christmas Camp AU
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp & Nicole Haught
Comments: 26
Kudos: 69





	1. Arrival

Nicole wanted to get off the bus. Or perhaps make it stop and not move for a few years. She closed her eyes but the humming of the engine was too obvious through the seats to ignore and even though they were going over the open plains the ride seemed ridiculously bumpy. The window was cold against her temple but she felt like her brain would fry with all the noise from her fellow passengers. Fellow campers.

“Fuck,” Nicole mumbled into her hoodie.

_It will be fun, Nicole!_ Her dad had said. _It’s this camp thing or coming with us to the solstice festival._ Her mom had said. Nicole had said nothing. _You’ll meet plenty of new people!_ Her dad had said like it was the best thing in the world.

The truth was Nicole was tired of new people. Since she was six they hadn’t stayed in the same place for more than two years at the most. She had switched schools more times than there were NCIS seasons, and for the last year they hadn’t been settled long enough for Nicole to play more than 2 games with the same sports team. And she wasn’t picky when it came to sports. She was flexible for whatever game involving a ball was in season. One or two coaches had told her to focus her ambition, but Nicole had just shrugged and ran laps instead of going home.

The scenery outside the window changed from fields of nothing to scattered houses and stables and the bus slowed and turned into a gas station that looked like it had survived the apocalypse.

“Okay everyone!” the counsellor sitting at the front yelled in the mic. “Last stop before we reach camp. Just picking up the last few campers.” The woman sounded cheery and Nicole felt bad for her, poor asshole having to look after unwanted teens over the holidays.

The driver hit the breaks hard and made Nicole, and by the sound of it a few others, fall forward in their seats. The bus door creaked open and the bus driver hollered at someone to get on.

“Waverly, stop pushing my ass!” A girl in a leather jacket and a scowl came into view just as Nicole got upright again.

“I don’t trust you not to bail on me,” another girl came in behind the first, and Nicole’s head fell forward again towards the seat in front of her.

 _No. Nope. No._ She thought as she closed her eyes and tried not to whine. The first girl had been cute but the second one with her pink earmuffs and stubborn expression was plain adorable. With a petite frame, soft looking light brown hair that went all the way to her waist and a body language and voice that just yelled mischief meant Nicole was done for. She would be at this camp for two weeks over Christmas and then likely never see these kids again.

 _I am too gay for this._ She mentally told her shoes, not daring to look up.

The sound of a man speaking with a drawl, definitely not native to the area, made Nicole glance up anyway. After the two girls another passenger boarded the bus. He was definitely too old to be in high school, so Nicole guessed he was one of the counsellors, but in no way did he look like a responsible adult. He wore a waistcoat and hat, cigarette behind the ear and the start of a beard. Nicole instantly didn’t like him. He moved with a confidence she envied but he also smelled like home-made liquor and smoke.

She’d had to wash her own coat twice to get the smell of cats and cigarette smoke out of it after finding it in a thrift store, then she’d done the mistake of letting it dry in the kitchen of their apartment and then having to wash it again to get the smell of pot out of it.

The smell of the unwashed counsellor made Nicole think of home. Which was one thing she sincerely hoped to avoid until the new year.

“Excuse me?”

Nicole nearly jumped out of her skin.

“May I sit here? My sister is being a grump and I wanted to get some reading done, so I promise I won’t bother you.” The girl from before asked the boy sitting across the isle from Nicole.

“No no problem! I mean yes absolutely! I can move if you want the whole seat?” The guy rambled but the girl sat down before he could do so.

“First time at camp? I’m Waverly,” the girl said and gracefully removed her coat, exposing a knitted crop top jumper and high waisted jeans hugging a petite body. Nicole quickly turned her reddening face towards the window.

“Yes Jeremy!” He half yelled and the girl giggled. Adorably. “Sorry, I’m nervous.” The boy seemed to try calm himself. “I’m Jeremy and yes this is my first time at camp. I’ve been to summer camp before but now my dad is traveling and he couldn’t bring me so here I am.”

Nicole wished she could see their faces but the sun was still high outside, limiting the reflection in the window.

“Hey can I sit here?”

Nicole whipped around. This time it was her being addressed. “Sure.”

“Good. Waverly left her stuff all over the seats and if I have to see one more book this year I’m going to punch someone.”

“Better not then.”

“I don’t mean to be an asshole. If you want to read, you can.”

Out of all the things coming out of the girl looking like she might actually punch someone for fun, reassurance wasn’t one of the things Nicole expected.

“Don’t worry, my book is at the bottom of my bag, under my baseball glove.” But before Nicole could continue the girl made a loud noise of exasperation.

“A healthy one, no!” she groaned. “Jocks are the worst.”

“But we have good stamina,” Nicole smirked.

The girl snorted. “You all think you do.” She leaned back in her seat, evidently decided on keeping the seat. “I’m Wynonna and this is my second year of Christmas jail. You?”

“Nicole. And this is my first year. Both jail camp and Christmas.”

“Jewish?”

“Hippie Parents.”

It was true. Nicole had never really celebrated Christmas. Instead people assumed her family celebrated the light and the harvest cycle, but her parents had never been stable enough for that. They were more the kind of people who had very grand ideas and ideals about world peace, freedom of speech but a general hate for any kind of rule or tradition.

“That sounds fun but I’m going to assume it isn’t since you’re here.” 

“Nope.” Nicole said and was glad Wynonna’s only response was a nod.

Wynonna ended up falling asleep on her shoulder and Nicole decided she liked her. She would be one of those people on a chart that read _looks like she could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll_. And something Nicole had learned through all her years of transfers was that regardless how brief your friendship would be, allies were important. Their conversation also helped distract her from the smell of the cowboy sleeping in the seat in front of her so that by the time Wynonna started to snore the smell had melted into the general scent of bus.

The arrival of the new counsellor seemed to have made the first one realise she didn’t need to be the pep-squad. Instead of the whole bus being jolted by eardrum-crushing songs every few miles the bus settled in blobs of chatter, music leaking from headphones and snores. Nicole had completely zoned out but was brought back by Waverly and Jeremy giggling over something. When she focused she realised that Waverly had started reading out loud from her book and with a glance their way she saw Waverly immersed fully in the story while Jeremy fiddled with a Rubik’s cube, evidently listening intently.

Once she realised, Nicole didn’t feel bad for listening in too. She couldn’t reach after her own book, that did lie in the bottom of her rucksack, without waking Wynonna so instead she let her sleep, and listened to Waverly’s voice. The way she randomly gave the different characters different accents didn’t at all help cool down the warm feeling that had gathered in Nicole’s chest because of the other girl.

The dark fell quickly and with no lights along the road Nicole was unable to spot any signs from her place by the window and the only landmark available to her were the thick woods that had marked the edge of the road for the last half an hour. She could feel that they were gaining altitude but Nicole had no idea if they would go down again before arrival or if camp was situated at the top of a mountain. The brochure had been vague about directions, simply stating that further directions could be given on request but that the best way to camp was by camp bus. She’d tried googling Camp Purgatory but the only information available was that of schools and councils recommending the camp as a retreat for teenagers from all paths of life. Which essentially meant they’d take anyone as long as the fee was paid by guardian or state.

She’d managed to zone out again, and after she’d taken a few not too deep breaths and dug the heel of her palm into her knee she realised Waverly had stopped reading and she couldn’t see anything but her own reflection outside the window. It had grown cold on the bus and most of its passengers had fallen asleep. There were still some in the back that seemed unable to stop talking but they must have changed to a subject, wishing not to be overheard, that their voices had lowered enough for Nicole to mostly tune it out. Nicole generally liked knowing what was going on but listening to kids who thought hogging the place next to the bus toilet was cool wasn’t in Nicole’s interest.

The lights came on in centre isle and the counsellor’s mic screeched for their attention.

“We’re now rolling into Camp Purgatory, everyone! Gather your things and make sure you don’t forget anything behind. The first thing on our itinerary for tonight is the welcome dinner and after that when everyone’s arrived we’ll get you all to your cabins to settle in!”

“That mic will show up boiled to tacos if she doesn’t lower the volume,” Wynonna grunted from Nicole’s shoulder. “Here we go, Red. Christmas jail awaits.”

Nicole hadn’t really known what to expect so she wasn’t surprised when she climbed off the bus after Wynonna and landed on a ploughed dirt floor lit up by beams like those at the side of football stadiums. The clash between modern and ancient seemed to go on from there because scattered around them were a mix of what could only be described as smaller bunker buildings, two large barns and a log house with a wooden porch stretching around it. The place looked like it should smell of horse, but Nicole couldn’t smell much of anything in the icy cold air.

Someone cleared their throat and a middle-aged man in a cowboy hat and kakis took Nicole’s attention.

“Well, welcome everyone,” he started gruffly. “I am Camp Director Randy Nedley. Dinner is in the big house and everyone remove their shoes like civilized people.”

Wynonna leaned her head towards Nicole as if to say something but a scream from behind made them both whip around. Nicole about had the time to realise that a skinny blonde boy in glasses had put snow down Waverly’s neck when Wynonna punched him square in the face and he fell to the ground like a rag doll.

“Wynonna, stop!” Nicole shouted and got between them, trying to keep her from punching him again.

“Bitch!” the boy shouted from the ground.

“Let off Waverly you piece of shit!” Wynonna yelled past Nicole.

“EARP!”

Everyone got quiet for a moment. The only sound coming from Waverly’s whimpers as she and Jeremy tried to get the snow out of her scarf.

The director of the camp was with them in a flash and took Nicole’s place in front of Wynonna.

“For Christ sake, Earp. You hardly had time to get off the bus!”

“That little creep hurt my sister!”

“I was only messing around! I was being friendly!” The boy yelled from behind Nicole and she had to stop herself from not groaning out loud but the fire in Wynonna’s eyes were tall enough for the both of them.

“My office now,” Nedley interrupted before the screaming match could continue. “Earp, Waverly and Tucker.” To Nicole’s amazement he sounded more tired than angry.

It took a few moments for the other counsellors to get the remaining campers’ attention. Especially since the smoke-smelling counsellor lit a cigarette and informed those in his proximity that Wynonna had actually very poor technique and could have done a lot more damage with some training. Eventually they were all ushered into the mess hall at the big house, however Nicole had difficulty focusing on what happened around her and a lump started growing in her chest and she had to remind herself constantly to unclench her jaw.

The room was large with a high beamed ceiling and rows of wooden tables with school kitchen style dishes with what looked like macaroni and cheese on them. Nicole had been hungry before but now felt uneasy about eating after what had just happened.

“Can I sit with you?”

Nicole jumped. It was the boy that had been sitting next to Waverly on the bus. She gestured for him to sit down opposite her.

“You spoke to Wynonna on the bus, right?”

Nicole nodded.

“Hey Waverly!” Jeremy suddenly shouted over Nicole’s shoulder and as she turned around, she could see Waverly giving them a small wave and after a nod from Nedley move towards them, Wynonna in tow by the hand.

“Everything okay? That was fast?” Nicole asked Wynonna but Waverly answered for her.

“That shit ticket was reminded that calling the police meant actually talking to the police and since he has a record that didn’t seem to please him too much.”

“So they just let you go?” Jeremy smiled widely.

“Dish duty for two days,” Wynonna grumbled. “I bet I can make that one though, the kitchen staff hate me here.”

The knot in Nicole’s chest loosened and she was able to load some food onto a plate.

“For what it’s worth I think you did the right thing.”

“You were very fast to turn against me there, Red.”

“Wynonna, I was fast to try and make you not beat him worse. That one punch he got he totally deserved.” Nicole meant it.

Wynonna narrowed her eyes at her but ended up shrugging it off.

They ate dinner together and the sisters informed the newcomers of what life at camp would look like, which was still hard to grasp since they had vastly different ideas about what counted as fun and what didn’t. The one thing the sisters were in total agreement on was that the food was alright, and that camp was better than home. Nicole silently agreed. It helped thinking that instead of eating macaroni and cheese with a few, maybe, crazy people at clean camp in the mountains, she could be in her parents’ van, going god knew where and preparing for two weeks of irregular and non-existent meals along with fights, endless rants on the issues with the state and Nicole’s grandparents.

By the time Nicole realised that she and Waverly had never actually introduced themselves it seemed too late to do so. They were already talking and teasing so the idea seemed redundant but also like they’d missed a step and Nicole felt a bit lost in the dance. Wynonna having the personality she did helped, and Jeremy’s tendency to ramble filled every possible silence. She was grateful though that dinner was a relatively short affair and that the room soon filled with information about cabins, shower blocks, activities and mealtimes. They were ushered outside again by the bus counsellor who seemed to have regained her cheerleading personality. For the life of her Nicole couldn’t remember her name but the prospect of a lecture or, maybe worse, name songs, made her refrain from asking.

Nicole had expected to sleep in an open space cabin with bunk beds. She was right about the cabin part but once she stepped inside, she realised it had been remodelled to keep two small bedrooms with twin beds, a kitchen, bathroom and living room. The space was slightly cramped and none of the furniture matched but it looked surprisingly alright.

“No late night wanders!” the peppy bus counsellor shouted from behind Nicole he bumped into Wynonna, not having realised they’d been followed inside. “Also thank you, Nicole! For staying with the Earps. No one else wanted to but giving them the place to themselves seemed like a reward.” She whispered this loudly to Nicole as if the two sisters wouldn’t be able to hear her.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“Goodnight everyone and see you tomorrow at breakfast!” She continued on with her loud half scream. “I’ll be staying in the counsellors’ cabin behind the big house so if you need me just come and knock!”

Wynonna removed her hands from her ears after the door was slammed behind the woman.

“We will all be deaf if we survive this,” she said.

“She’s not so bad,” Waverly tried but Wynonna ignored her.

“Red!” she shouted instead. “You’re with me. But I get the bed by the door.”

The bed was narrow and harder than the bed Nicole slept on at home. But the room had a heater that seemed to be programmed for blizzard season so the room was comfortably warm and the neither Nicole nor Wynonna had touched the extra blankets available in the cupboard. Wynonna had crashed on the bed fully clothed after taking a swing from a hidden whiskey bottle as way of cleaning her teeth. That left Nicole enough room to change into sweats and t-shirt to sleep in and put some of her things in the drawer under her bed.

She met Waverly in the bathroom while brushing her teeth and had an awkward dance with her to determine whether they could share the space or not.

This was one of the things that made Nicole question anyone who claimed to love meeting new people. You never knew where people’s boundaries were and before you could figure that out everything was just awkward and hesitant. Nicole had once swung up her legs in the lap of a classmate in the first week of school and gotten a startled stiff response, making her question her every move for the rest of the week, trying to find out if they were okay or not.

Waverly didn’t seem to mind though. She just smiled and waved good night when Nicole took her turn to use the bathroom after her. Which didn’t make Nicole feel any less nervous. She usually took most of her showers at school and changed around other people all the time, yet just standing next to Waverly fully dressed in pyjamas, felt too intimate and nerve wracking.

By the time she turned off the light her heart was hammering in her chest and sleep felt a million miles away. She tried grounding herself with cataloguing the unfamiliar sound of her surroundings. Wynonna was breathing heavily but not quite snoring. The space heater hummed every few minutes but other than that the house was quiet. Waverly was sleeping in the room next door but Nicole couldn’t hear anything from that room. When her eyes had adjusted to the dark she could see almost clearly outside. The big beams had been turned off but the porch light from the big house was lit and reflected its yellowish light in the snow, creating a semi clear view of the space outside. She saw light coming from two other cabins and the beams from the windows created long, sharp shadows over the snow.

Her parents had always told ghost stories and tales of the supernatural, making Nicole a firm realist and believer in what she could see. Trouble was she was definitely seeing movement outside that wasn’t shadow. She figured some of the other kids had taken the first chance they got to explore the area without adult supervision. She just wished they’d been stupid enough to bring their phones to use as flashlights, so she’d be able to tell for sure. A piece of her heart hurt at the idea of it being a cat forgotten outside in the snow.

She lay down and tried to sleep. But her thoughts kept swimming and her brain refused to shut down. She could go out to the living room and do push-ups and sit-ups until she was tired enough to at least lay still but she feared it would have the opposite effect and wake her up even more.

A scratch came from outside her window. Nicole ignored it. Then she heard it again along with a small whimper.

“Damnit,” she whispered and got up, took her boots on without socks first and grabbed her hoodie.

Now there were no lights from any of the other cabins that Nicole could see and the only light were the porch light from the big house two hundred yards away. She stood still and listened but heard nothing.

“Typical,” she murmured but didn’t go inside straight away. The moon hung low over the trees and when she looked up the sky was scattered with stars. For the first time since she arrived, she felt like she breathed calm. She rested her head back and kept looking at the stars until she felt dizzy and shivered with cold.

A noise like snow falling off a branch made her look back down.

Nothing.

She started going back inside when she heard a weak mew from round the corner of the cabin towards the woods where Waverly’s window ought to be. She changed direction and walked towards the noise instead, now really shivering with the cold but determined to see if it really was a cat or just a curious deer or something. How deer sounds could be mistaken for a cat Nicole didn’t have time to think through before she saw a splash of blood in the snow with a trail leading into the woods.


	2. Ally?

Nicole ran, getting snow in her boots and feeling her breath freeze in her throat. She couldn’t see any tracks in the snow but the trail of blood stained the ground in patches that kept her worry high. There was too much blood for it to have been a cat and the thought that the blood had started at Waverly’s window slapped her hard and she upped her pace into the dark. She mentally went through the procedure to stop bleeding and did a quick inventory of what she had on her to think through what could be used when she reached whoever was injured. 

Then nothing. The trail stopped abruptly, and the ground showed no clear tracks of where anyone could have gone. 

“Hello?” She called out but got no response.   
She looked down to assess the amount of blood only to discover there was nothing there. Nothing but her own footprints and fallen pine needles. Back towards where she’d came, the only thing on the ground was more of her own shuffled footprints and fallen branches.   
She was about to call out again when shame hit, and she bit her lip and bowed her head.   
If I don’t get out of this stupid forest soon it’ll be me being the victim, she thought darkly, berating herself up for her stupidity, and started to go back.   
Against her wishes, tears started clouding her vision and she shivered even worse than before, her fingers too cold and sluggish to work to zip up her hoodie. The snow in her shoes made her heels start to hurt with cold and keeping her balance became increasingly difficult. 

On her way back she noticed the trail she’d taken had been anything but straight forward. She’d almost run in a wide circle at some point, and the urge to take a short cut back instead of following her own tracks were strong but she resisted. Getting lost was not on her itinerary.   
By the time she reached the cabin her hands were too cold to properly close around the handle and she struggled to get the door shut behind her.   
Just as she’d managed it she heard a noise from outside again, that same whimper.   
“Nicole?”   
“Shit!” Nicole turned around so fast she had to lean on the door not to stumble. “If today could stop startling me that would be great.”   
“Nicole are you okay?” Waverly asked carefully from her bedroom door. “You were out for a really long time and you didn’t take your coat.”   
“Sorry, I just.” Followed a non-existent blood trail out to the woods and probably got frostbite.   
The pain in her chest intensified, her whole body shivered out of control and she felt so, so stupid.   
“Hey, you’re okay,” Waverly murmured and reached out towards her but the idea of being hugged, comforted, for her own stupidity made Nicole feel sick.   
“Don’t.” Nicole gritted her teeth and her jaw ached worse. She didn’t look at Waverly but heard her move towards her.   
“Nicole?”   
Waverly’s voice was too gentle and the sob that had been building to the point of pain in her throat was released. 

Waverly watched Nicole break in front of her. She went from being the beautiful person, who could deal with Wynonna, to a stammering mess in what felt like an instant. They had only just met but Waverly had gotten the impression, from the way she moved with such confidence and yet showed loyalty first thing, that Nicole would be able to handle the crazy. Or maybe be good enough not to encounter it at all. But apparently no such luck.   
“Let’s get you warm,” Waverly said as gently as she could while leading Nicole to the kitchen. 

In the end Waverly had talked Nicole into changing into fresh pyjamas and then placed her at the kitchen table with three blankets and a mug of tea in her hands.   
“You wanna tell me what happened?”   
“It’s stupid,” Nicole answered, her voice already stronger.   
“It’s not stupid. Why were you outside?” Waverly prodded.   
Nicole was avoiding her eyes but Waverly decided to wait her out.   
“I heard something outside and decided to check,” Nicole said after a few moments of silence. “I thought I saw something too but it was nothing.”   
“Wake me or Wynonna next time.”   
“Why so you can scare away the monster under the bed?”   
Waverly felt no need to laugh. She hoped that what happened last year had just been the regular weirdness that seemed to follow her and Wynonna everywhere. But instead it had attacked someone else. Nicole’s face turned serious.   
“Wait what do you mean?”   
“Just wake me and Wynonna next time. Don’t go out by yourself.”   
“Waverly what the hell does that mean??” Nicole asked louder now.   
Waverly hated being yelled at and felt like she was sinking into herself.   
“Waverly?” Nicole asked again.   
“Just. I don’t know how to talk about it.” Waverly tried to sound stronger but couldn’t make her voice grow. And right now she wasn’t the one needing to be tended to. Nicole was the one who’d almost been killed by whatever haunted her and her sister.   
“Just.” She took a breath. “Let’s talk in the morning okay?”   
Nicole looked like she wanted to argue, but she also looked like she was going to pass out from exhaustion.   
“Fine.” Nicole gritted her teeth and Waverly felt like she’d said the wrong thing.   
She tried leading Nicole to the bedroom but the other girl shrugged her off. 

Waverly crept back into bed and felt like some of the warmth had left the room. She draped another blanket over her bed and kept her onesie on but her nose still felt too cold and even with the hood up she felt like chilled winds were finding ways towards her skin.   
Waverly had wanted to go back to camp to solve the mystery and Wynonna had come too but claimed she didn’t believe what had happened to them. She had told Waverly to forget it, that it wasn’t real. But she’d still taken the bed furthest from the window and gotten herself to sleep with the help of whiskey on their first night. The year before, Wynonna had been loud about what they saw. She’d tried to contact the authorities but all that had lead to was two months in a psychiatric hospital. This year their aunt and uncle had been hesitant about sending them to the same place again but on Waverly’s insistence had let them go. The thought to phone Curtis had occurred to her the moment she saw Wynonna’s stash of whiskey, but she also knew that at home there would just be other demons waiting. That Nicole had been the one attacked on the first night had thrown her though. She didn’t know how to explain and felt bad, if the haunting was their fault, to drag someone else into it. Especially someone who seemed as nice as Nicole. 

Waverly lay awake listening for as long as she could but no more sounds of footsteps inside or outside came. 

Nicole startled awake by the sound of what must have been a trumpet blowing into a microphone. The room didn’t have any proper curtains so it was fully lit with the white morning sun. She got up on her knees and looked out the window and the world outside. Snow must have fallen early in the morning because there were a fresh layer of powder covering the ground and someone in a plough truck was out clearing pathways. There would be no way for her to check if the trail she’d followed during the night was still there. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.   
“Red, you’re a jock. Think you could pitch a baseball into the horn of that kill-by-sound machine?” Wynonna grumbled from her bed, tugging her sweater half way up to cover her head, leaving her stomach exposed.   
Nicole ignored her and left the room. 

There was only one shower running when she got to the shower block and she hurried inside one of the cubicles and locked it behind her. The hot water hurt her toes but she didn’t lower the temperature.   
In the light of day the events of the night before felt far away and more like an embarrassment than a real fright. The problem was Waverly’s reaction. Had she come inside and just gone to bed she might have thought the whole thing was a freak play of her imagination, but Waverly’s evasiveness and worry had been real. 

She washed her hair and body as if she could scrub away the night before with the shampoo going down the drain. By the time she showed up back at the cabin the tips of her hair had frozen to ice and she felt cold all over again. Waverly and Wynonna sat at the table with mugs of coffee.   
“Not a morning person?” Wynonna asked over her mug.   
Nicole shook her head. “Where did the coffee come from?”   
“I brought it,” Waverly smiled hesitantly. Nicole’s stomach was in knots just looking at her.   
“I need caffeine before interacting with any of those cheerleader attitude noobs,” Wynonna grumbled and refilled her cup with water and added more instant powder. Nicole assumed she’d talked about the counsellors since none of the kids seemed super peppy to be at camp. 

“Hey are you okay?”   
Nicole realised she’d zoned out with her toothbrush in her mouth, foam dripping down her chin.   
“Mm Hmm.” She hurriedly spat the toothpaste out and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Waverly gingerly stepped into the bathroom.   
“I’m sorry about last night.”   
“Why?” Nicole challenged, a little of her anger coming back. One look at Waverly though and she felt immediately ashamed of her harsh word. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”   
“No, it’s okay.” Waverly took a step closer, wringing her hands and then when Nicole looked at them put them behind her back. “It’s just that I haven’t figured out what’s going on here yet and Wynonna won’t really talk about it and I’m worried it’s our fault and I don’t wanna drag you into it-”   
“Waverly,” Nicole interrupted. “What am I being dragged into?” She tried to think logically. “Is anything trying to harm you or your sister? Playing tricks on you?”   
It had been the wrong thing to say. Waverly visually deflated and her gaze dropped to the floor.   
“Yeah,” Waverly said with fake brightness, not looking at her. “Just have to figure out who.” 

Waverly wondered if coming back to camp had been a mistake after all. Maybe she was stupid and ridiculous to try and solve a mystery her sister, who’d been through the same thing, wouldn’t even acknowledge existed in the first place. And of course Nicole wouldn’t believe it either. Nicole who was cool and beautiful and for some reason Waverly couldn’t understand staying at camp over Christmas.   
At school Waverly was used to people either liking her or giving snide backhanded comments. The confusion and anger in Nicole’s eyes was a new experience, one she didn’t feel any richer for.   
“Baby girl you okay?”   
It was also the fact that her sister acted like she was an annoying leech most of the time and then, when they were alone, like she suddenly was the only thing in the universe she cared about.   
“Yea fine.”   
“No you’re not.”   
“Why are you so deceptive all of a sudden?”   
“What got your panties in a twist?”   
“Nicole got attacked last night.”   
Wynonna was quiet for a second before exploding.   
“WHAT?”   
“Nicole was lured outside last night and nearly got lost in the woods.”   
“How did she get back?? Did Nedley find her?”   
“Nope.” Waverly looked at her sister. “She came back by herself. Not sure how.”   
Wynonna looked like someone had just told her the world was flat and it gave Waverly a small feeling of triumph to shock her with some new information.   
“But how did you know? Why didn’t you come get me?”   
“Wynonna, I woke up by her fiddling with the door to come back inside!”   
Wynonna didn’t look convinced.   
Waverly continued in frustration. “And when I tried to talk to her, to tell her.” At that Wynonna got a dark look in her eyes.   
“Wave, we can’t tell anyone!”   
“She thinks someone played a prank on her! That I know something and won’t tell her and I feel like a traitorous monster for not telling her there might be actual monsters after us!”   
“She won’t believe us!” Wynonna threw her arms in air. “No one believes us, Waverly. So we can’t tell her.” She took a breath. “If you can’t handle a cold shoulder, to not be adored everywhere you go, then feel free to get a taste of my world and grow up!”   
Tears brimmed in Waverly’s eyes and she was too hurt to hide them. The conversation had gone from a place of concern to where it always, sooner or later, came back to.   
The thing was Waverly really didn’t like people disliking her. She couldn’t shrug it off like Wynonna could. That didn’t mean she was made of glass. Or that she didn’t see Wynonna and what she struggled with.   
She tried to match Wynonna’s stare but felt her lip trembling and she fled. 

Nicole had decided to join the hike that meant taking a packed lunch and walking the mountain trails during the hours when the sun was at its highest. She hadn’t really wanted to go back to the woods but the idea of remaining at camp wasn’t one she preferred. She wasn’t really mad at Waverly, but she also needed to take a breather.   
The good thing about the activity was that most of the other campers hadn’t reached the level of boredom that a hike was a good enough offer of entertainment, so most of them stayed on camp grounds for video game marathons and general free time that was offered on the first day.  
They walked down the first hill and then through a dense piece of forest before climbing a steeper hill to get above the tree line. Some of the kids were properly winded when they got up there but Nicole realised she’d really needed the climb to let her body work instead of letting her mind run wild.   
“You a hiking kind, Nicole?”   
For the man’s slightly rounded stature he evidently had excellent cardio. Nedley leaned on a hiking stick next to her as they waited for the stragglers.   
“I do a lot of running, sir.”   
“I never understood that. Skating yes, but running no.”   
“You seem to hold your own though, sir.”   
“Are you being cheeky with me?” there was no anger in his voice.   
“Not at all, sir.”   
“Stop with the sir business. Makes me feel how old I really am,” he grumbled and went to check on another camper.   
Nicole took the opportunity to just stand and look around. The sun had gone beyond some clouds, making Nicole putting her hood up, but the place was still impressive in shades of grey. Right where she stood the ground was covered in white but higher up the hill it looked like most of it had blown away to reveal dead grass. She raised her gaze and was a little bit hit with the beauty of the strength and vastness of the landscape. The woods stretched out to what looked like forever and a few degrees in a different direction the mountains lay sleeping under snow and clouds. There were some fields too but if they were currently unused pastures or farmland, Nicole couldn’t tell. 

She buried her hands deep in her pockets and was glad it was far enough below zero for the snow to not melt around her ankles and drench her trousers and socks. A pair of boots showed up next to Nicole. The wearer of the boots was a girl Nicole had only nodded to at the start of the hike. She was dressed warmly but looked more prepped for a day out shopping than hiking, her only bag a small purse thrown over her shoulder.   
“So you figured out the hack,” she said to Nicole but looking out over the woods.   
“What?”   
“First day drama is at its best when not experienced.”   
Nicole wondered if she’d thought about that line or if that was how she really talked.   
“So, you’ve been here before?”   
“No, but places like it and this doesn’t seem too different,” the girl answered. “But you haven’t?”   
“No,” Nicole said simply, pulling her shoulders up to her ears.   
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask.” The girl waved a hand. “So you wanna beat this trail and get to the top?”   
A part of Nicole was telling her not to get too comfy with this girl. She looked exactly like so many of the girls at any of Nicole’s previous school who’d show up to cheer at the boys’ ball games but pretend the girls’ games didn’t exist. One of the people that never made friends with someone like Nicole.   
“Sure, let’s go.”   
Whatever the girl usually did for a work-out she climbed the hill like it was nothing and they reached the top before anyone else. Well up there she threw her head back and laughed loudly. Nicole wasn’t sure what was funny but then she also got the impression that at least it wasn’t her being the butt of the joke.   
“What’s your name?”   
The girl smiled widely at her and applied some lip balm. Making Nicole look at her lips.   
“Rosita Bustillos,” she smiled. “You?”   
“Nicole Haught.”   
“Wow, handsome, that’s a name and a half.”   
“Would look good on a sports shirt though,” Nicole threw back. She might be hesitant about the new girl but she’d received ribs on her name her whole life. Although in kinder garden it had mostly meant kids poking her and saying ow.   
“You not on any team?”   
“Not long enough in the same place to get it printed on a shirt,” Nicole answered truthfully.   
“Foster system?”   
“Hippie parents.” Nicole felt bad. “Foster system?”   
“Yep,” the girl said simply. “Also sorry I broke the rule about not asking.”   
She didn’t sound sorry but Nicole wasn’t about to call her out. “How’s your cabin so far? Any of them here?” Nicole asked instead, looking around.   
“They’re alright. My roommate snores though so I’ll probably sleep on the couch for the rest of camp.”   
“Nightmare,” Nicole shuddered. “I’m too tall for the sofa in our cabin so if Wynonna snores I’m going to kick her awake.”   
“Oh, you’re the one who rooms with the Earps!”   
“I thought this was your first time at camp. How do you already know them?”   
Rosita brushed something invisible from her sleeve. “I’m new, not deaf.” She didn’t look at Nicole. “But then maybe you’ve only spoken to them and not much more to anyone else. They seem to be the talk of camp.”   
“One of the counsellors thanked me for volunteering to stay with them because no one else would.”   
“That’s fucked up.” Rosita sounded genuine but when she continued Nicole got her doubts back about the girl next to her. “They should meet some of the people I’ve roomed with in the last few years. The Earps seems like sweethearts in comparison.”   
“Isn’t the problem the counsellor and not the sisters?” Nicole asked defensively. Sure, she wasn’t loving the Earp sisters at the moment, but they didn’t seem to deserve that kind of reputation. No one did.   
“You heard me when I called the counsellor a bitch, right?” Rosita squinted and smiled but Nicole wasn’t sure she wanted to continue the conversation. Rosita went on. “I try and stay out of most things. If I have a choice.”   
“Well, I choose to take a side. And I take theirs.” Nicole walked away. 

She felt a bit stupid for snapping at the other girl. Especially since she really was frustrated with the secrets Waverly obviously kept, and worried about Wynonna’s bash behaviour. But the sisters had been nice to her as well and if there was one thing Nicole disliked, it was gossip. So, she resisted the urge to turn back, apologise and make a joke. If Nicole, after a few more days, discovered that Rosita had just been talking without thinking then she could apologise then. 

“Are you still mad at me?”   
Nicole looked up at dinner to notice Waverly Earp standing with a tray in front of her, fidgeting slightly and looking absolutely adorable with her hair down in ripples of her shoulders.   
“No,” Nicole set her fork down. “I’m sorry I got all closed off.”   
“I’m sorry I couldn’t just talk to you like a normal person.”   
“You wanna start over?” Nicole asked. Wondering if it was possible and seriously doubting it regardless of movie tropes.   
“I’m not sure that works,” Waverly said but her smile reached her eyes, just about, anyway.   
“Okay I have two things on my list we need to talk about.” Wynonna showed up out of thin air and sat down next to Nicole, her tray clattering against the table.   
Nicole rolled her eyes. These girls were crazy but she couldn’t help but like them anyway. She looked at Waverly who gave her a quick glance that Nicole couldn’t read before turning her attention towards her sister.   
“Tomorrow is decorating-the-cabin-for-Christmas-day and if we don’t we don’t get dessert on Christmas eve.” She interrupted herself to raise a finger at her sister. “Yes I checked and that includes you.”   
Nicole chuckled but Wynonna continued, worst tumbling out at high speed. “Also I think I most definitely positively saw the thing that attacked Nicole again and we need to do something about it stat!”   
Nicole got a piece of bread stuck in her throat. 

Nicole’s head was swimming.   
“Wynonna,” Waverly warned but Nicole kept her focus on the elder sister.   
“What do you mean attacked me?” Nicole struggled to keep her voice level.   
“You sure you’re ready for the truth, Red?”   
“It’s Nicole.” Nicole straightened in her seat. She needed to take some agency in the conversation and Wynonna’s nickname didn’t help.   
“Wynonna if you tell her we have to tell her everything.”   
Nicole whipped around towards Waverly now.   
“You don’t think I can handle it?”   
“It’s not that,” Waverly whispered and Nicole felt stupid for snapping. The lack of sleep had really messed with her head. That’s no excuse, asshole, she berated herself.   
“We shouldn’t talk here.” Wynonna said simply and got up from her chair. Nicole itched to just follow but took both of their trays to the dish station first.


	3. Crafts, Truths and Monsters

Waverly followed her sister and Nicole back to their cabin. Instead of taking the shortcut through the collection of trees that interrupted the open space, Wynonna took the ploughed up path to the cabin. She had never seen Wynonna do that before.

“Wynonna,” she started but her sister waved her silent.

Nicole gave her a look with a question in it, but Waverly didn’t know how to answer her.

They opened the door and not for the first time Waverly wished they had been given keys to lock them. She had asked Nedley last year but he had just grumbled and said no.

Wynonna threw her jacket off and sat down on the sofa, indicating for Waverly to come and sit next to her. Waverly walked over and sat down on the arm rest next to her sister.

She turned to Nicole who looked like she was mentally preparing for battle and Waverly wished there was a way to avoid this.

“So,” Wynonna started. “Do you believe in ghosts, Nicole?”

Nicole seemed to struggle not to roll her eyes but then stopped still.

“Just tell me, Wynonna.” She sighed. “Is anyone messing with you?” she looked at Waverly. “Waverly told me there was something like that.”

Wynonna gave Waverly a look and Waverly raised her hands in the air.

“You’ve forbidden me from talking! What was I gonna say??”

“Fair point,” Wynonna nodded and directed her attention back to Nicole. “What, more exactly, happened last night?”

Waverly saw Nicole deflate.

“I thought I heard a noise and maybe saw something outside so I went to check. Thought it was a cat or something locked outside. Then I looked around and thought I saw blood.”

Waverly had heard the story before but it still felt strange. That wasn’t at all like what had happened to Wynonna.

Nicole continued. “I thought there was a trail of it leading into the woods so I followed and almost got lost. Then the trail was gone and I felt like a big dumb idiot, standing in the woods in the middle of the night without a jacket.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly started. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

A lump formed in Waverly’s throat but Wynonna spoke before she could.

“Dude, she doesn’t mean YOU don’t make sense, but what happened doesn’t add up.”

Being defended by your sister was both the best and worst thing in the world. Nicole looked like she was going to continue to argue but Wynonna was faster.

“I was at the back of the big house with Doc before dinner.”

“What were you doing with him there?!” Waverly asked, confused.

Nicole looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she immediately wanted to defend her sister. She wasn’t that stupid!

One look at Wynonna however had the heat rise in her cheeks.

“Nothing happened, Waves,” Wynonna sighed dramatically. “Anyway. We were leaning against the back of the house, Doc smoking a cigarette when we heard something in the woods. Or that’s the thing. I was certain I heard a gunshot and when I looked at Doc it was obvious he’d heard it too.” Wynonna paused, holding a finger up. “Only he hadn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Nicole asked but Wynonna ignored her.

“I froze into place and he wanted to run. But when he asked me if I’d heard _her_ it was clear that we hadn’t actually heard the same thing.”

Waverly looked at Nicole, willing her to believe Wynonna.

“He heard a woman’s voice and the cry of a child. Not a gunshot like I did.”

“What does this have to do with blood in the woods?”

Waverly jumped in. “Nicole, there is something in these woods that feed on whatever scares us. Or something like it, it’s not very consistent.”

“You’re saying there’s a boggart in the woods?”

“No!” Waverly removed some invisible strand of hair from her face. “Or maybe yes, but you know not like in Harry Potter of course but I suppose for a comparison it’s not bad.”

“A what now?” Wynonna asked.

“In Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban there’s a magical creature that takes the shape of whatever the person facing it most fear,” Waverly explained. 

Wynonna was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “Yep, that works.”

Waverly turned to Nicole to continue but the other girl had started pacing back and forth across the room at an increasing speed.

“Nicole, maybe you should sit down.”

Wynonna threw a couch cushion at Nicole.

“Wynonna!”

“She was going to snap!”

“Throwing furniture isn’t helping!”

“I wasn’t, come on!”

“WILL YOU TWO STOP!” Nicole screamed.

Waverly moved instinctively behind Wynonna at Nicole’s outburst. Then when she looked at Nicole, really looked, she felt ashamed. Nicole stood with her shoulders up to her ears, breathing too fast and like she was trying very hard to keep her feelings on the inside.

“Don’t yell,” Wynonna grumbled. Waverly’s first reaction was to punch Wynonna but then she quickly remembered that maybe that wasn’t a great way to solve the situation.

Nicole’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t be sorry,” Wynonna said before Waverly found her words. “But you need to decide if you’re ready for this.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly started but hated the weakness in her voice.

“Wave, she needs to decide if she can handle this or not.”

“It’s not about something as simple as that!”

“Oh God,” Nicole crashed down onto the sofa, letting her head fall back against the backrest. “I’m fine with the boggart thing. Could you two stop arguing? It makes me nervous.”

Waverly looked at Nicole. “You’re what?”

“Yea, whatever. Ghosts in the forest. That’s not the weirdest shit ever,” Nicole said, being way more calm than Waverly was comfortable with.

Wynonna cut in before she could comment. “You believe us?” she asked, venom in her voice.

“Wynonna, yes I believe you.”

Waverly sat down with a cup of tea in the sofa next to Nicole while Wynonna had laid down on the floor in front on them.

“Wynonna, could you please get up?”

“Still in shock, baby girl,” Wynonna said clearly, starring up into the ceiling.

“For what?” Nicole blew on her cup.

“Believing me,” Wynonna answered without moving. “It’s not something that happens very often. Or you know, ever.”

For all of Wynonna’s dramatics, she hadn’t lied. Wynonna had tried speaking about what had happened and then she hadn’t seen her sister in three months after that.

“Maybe a bit on the dramatic side?” Nicole interjected.

“You try being locked up.”

“Isn’t that what we are here?”

Fair point, Waverly thought, sipping her tea.

“You ready to hear this or not?”

Nicole immediately sat up straighter.

Nicole found it close to impossible to concentrate. Waverly sat close next to her, bundled up in a huge blanket that inadvertedly spilled over onto Nicole, and Wynonna was sitting on the floor telling her about a monster in the woods.

“Sometime when I was little something started following me around. I thought it was just stuff of nightmares and stuff you know. Not real.” Wynonna looked Nicole dead in the eye. “Then Waverly noticed it too. And then our sister died and everyone around us, including some parts of ourselves, thought the monsters were just a way of dealing with the grief.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole said automatically but Wynonna ignored her.

“It disappeared for a while, or at least it left us alone. But then last year it came back.”

“What is it? Have you ever seen it?” Nicole asked Wynonna but Waverly was the one answering.

“We’re not sure the thing even has its own shape.”

“If it did, we could have kicked its ass already!” Wynonna sighed loudly.

“Mostly it’s been sounds, smells and a creepy feeling.” Waverly paused. “I thought I heard something and definitely smelled something last year.” Waverly wrinkled her nose. “But then camp was over and we returned home and after that the creature was gone for a while. We’re not sure if it got spooked or if it-“ she stopped herself and Nicole could sense her discomfort when she continued. “fed, and was content for a while.”

Nicole took a breath. “Then what happened? Didn’t other people realise they were being haunted by monsters?”

“Other people weren’t.” Wynonna said gravely, looking at Nicole.

“Then wha-“

“Up until last night, it hadn’t moved on anyone else.”

“That we know of,” Waverly interjected.

Nicole wasn’t sure what to think. She could be going crazy but at least then there were three of them. Or four, if you counted Counsellor Henry. Or they were playing a really intricate trick on her but she didn’t feel like that was it. She could usually trust her gut and at the moment her gut told her to trust the Earps. Even if Waverly sitting so close made it feel like a sack of butterflies.

“So it creates an illusion of something you fear?” Nicole asked after a moment’s silence.

“Yes.” Waverly got that voice back where it sounded like she was giving a lecture on 8th grade chemistry, not talking about a supernatural being. “Unlike a boggart this thing doesn’t physically change shape into a fear or a phobia. Rather it creates an environment that feeds on our fears.”

Something about it didn’t sit right with Nicole. But considering the whole thing was weird as fuck she pushed that thought aside for now.

“So how do we fight it,” she asked instead.

“We don’t know,” Wynonna groaned and lay back on the floor.

“But we’ll do more research and find a way.”

“How though?” Nicole asked.

The pile of blankets next to her sank and Nicole felt bad for questioning her.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” she tried to sound sure but her voice didn’t carry as well as it usually did.

Nicole heard noises in the night but after dinner all of them had stayed inside. Nedley and another counsellor had walked past to check in on them but they’d left soon after since there apparently was a party in another cabin.

“You think that’s Nedley’s biggest fear?” Wyonna had teased, being given the stink eye from her sister. “Fine too soon,” she’d said, her hands in the air.

Wynonna had tried to get Waverly to sleep in their room, but Waverly had refused. Grumbling about not being a baby. Nicole understood her but, all the same, wished the younger girl would stay in their room instead of sleeping alone. Nicole didn’t love sharing her space but it wasn’t like this was a good time to be particular.

The next day at breakfast they were all a bit bleary-eyed but the coffee Waverly had made even earlier helped. Nicole hadn’t wanted to be a coffee drinker. She didn’t like the idea of being dependant on something so strongly, but caffeine really did make wonders and she talked herself into only having half a cup each morning.

“Everyone!” the bus counsellor shouted from on top of a chair at breakfast. Even though they would all be able to see her perfectly well from the ground. “Today we’re going to be doing a very special activity so I hope you’re all ready to be excited!”

“Bloody hell, I forgot,” Wynonna whined into her cereal.

Nicole didn’t have time to ask before the counsellor continued her shouting.

“Since Christmas is soon upon us we thought it would be time to decorate! And what better way to pass the day than having craft stations!”

Nicole didn’t hate the idea but Wynonna’s reaction compared to her sister’s was hilarious.

Waverly had shot upright and started clapping her hands together, looking like she’d just been told they’d all be going to a Rhianna concert.

Nicole looked towards Nedley who seemed perfectly content to simply lean against the wall and drink his coffee.

“So, each cabin will get the chance to decorate one part of the camp grounds and then there will be time to decorate the cabins themselves!” The counsellor smiled brightly, still half screaming from her chair. “I need two volunteers and then we’ll get started as soon as breakfast is over!”

Waverly bounced off her chair, grabbed Jeremy, the boy from the bus, and sprinted towards the counsellor.

That warm feeling came back to Nicole’s stomach. She hadn’t known how to feel about Waverly, thinking maybe the crush was wearing off with all the other things going on. But seeing her so happy and exciting for such a simple thing as decoration and crafts made her cheeks feel warm again.

“What’s up with you?” Wynonna asked and Nicole quickly tried to school her expression.

“What?” she asked, willing her lip not to twitch in a betraying smile.

“You looked all googly eyed. You Have thing for girl scout Karen over there?”

“No,” Nicole answered quickly.

“Mmm.. Because, dude, I would judge you.”

Nicole bristled. “For being gay?!”

Wynonna rolled her eyes and Nicole clenched her fist.

“No, dumbass. For liking the counsellor who looks like she’s got a candy cane up her ass.”

_Oh._ “How was I suppose to know that.” Nicole felt childish for overreacting but she just had no fucking energy for homophobia.

“I might be crazy but I’m not that much of an asshole, give me some credit.” With that Wynonna got up to drop her bowl by the dishes. For a moment Nicole was worried she’d blown it but when she didn’t immediately get up to follow, Wynonna turned and lowered an eyebrow in question.

The good thing to do in a situation like this, Nicole thought. Would be to shrug, roll your eyes and get up. Unfortunately she realised this too late, after she had rushed from the table to catch up to her friend. It was like Wynonna could sense her unease though and put an arm around her waist before she lowered her voice and whispered.

“They’ll be back soon, and unless you wanna be covered in glitter before lunch I would suggest we bail!”

“Wynonna!”

They were stopped in their escape by a tiny creature with very strong lungs.

“Today is craft day and you’re going to participate! Doing something normal.”

“But, Wave,” Wynonna rolled her eyes. “We’re not normal. And who cares about all this stuff anyway.”

It was the wrong thing to say and Wynonna knew it too. Waverly shrunk away, fixing her eyes somewhere on the floor to the left of her.

“Waverly it’s great if you want to be creative but I am just not feeling it,” Wynonna tried and Nicole wanted to kick her.

“Sure,” Waverly said. “Whatever.”

“Girls.” Nedley approached them. “I’ll give your cabin the responsibility of getting us a Christmas tree and decorate it. Something that will fit in here.”

“Sure,” Waverly mumbled.

“It’s that or decorating lanterns for all over camp.”

Nicole got a flash image of Wynonna and Waverly getting in a fight while dealing with fire and quickly blurted out. “No, Tree duty will be perfect, sir.”

“Well, good,” Nedley grumbled and walked away.

He left them standing in an awkward atmosphere where Nicole had no idea how to dispel it and make the situation better.

“Come on, it might be a good distraction,” Nicole tried but Wynonna immediately moved her focus to her.

“Why do you care? It’s not like you celebrate Christmas normally!”

At that Nicole bristled. “Because I don’t have a family to do it with! Do you think it’s fun to always have to explain to people that NO I didn’t do anything over Christmas because my parents are too mad at the world to celebrate?!” She shouted.

“Nicole,” Waverly said softly and Nicole instantly calmed and felt embarrassed from her outburst.

“I’m,” Wynonna looked up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry okay.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly took a half step closer to her sister. “I just want to celebrate Christmas in some way. Just do something that even resembles normal.” Waverly’s voice was shaking. “Also Christmas just hasn’t been a very nice time in the last few years but I thought maybe this year, with us being away and actually not being involved in police business-“

“Yet,” Wynonna interjected.

Waverly continued. “We could at least try to celebrate. I don’t really remember Christmas with mama and I think maybe instead of being emo about it we could maybe try.” She looked hopeful. “A little?”

Nicole felt very much like she was intruding onto something private but didn’t want to leave to draw attention to her presence. She wondered what it was like to have celebrated Christmas and then have it being taken away. At least Nicole had never had any traditions. She didn’t feel like summer festival season counted since her parents only went during the years they didn’t hate the idea of capitalising music.

“We’ll find a fucking Christmas tree, Waverly.” There was zero bite in Wynonna’s words. “We’ll do some decorations and I’ll even not kill you if you wake me up on Christmas morning.”

Waverly lit up and squealed. It was like all her sorrows were gone and she crashed into a hug with her sister. What Nicole hadn’t expected was to be drawn into the hug too. One moment she was watching the sisters and then a moment later she couldn’t see them at all from the awkward angled of having both their heads under her chin. Waverly’s arm in a strong grip around her and Wynonna resting an awkward hand on her shoulder.

Nicole had done enough craft sessions for _internal expression_ , as her parents called it. Basically it’s what they had done to get Nicole out of their way until she was ten and stopped wishing for her parents’ attention. Hours had been spent on the floor with magazines, coloured paper and glue, trying to create whatever it was her parents thought would show her true soul.

Craft session with Waverly was different. She’d come through the door with a box full of paper, glitter, glue, scissors and stickers and Nicole wondered if the camp had somehow prioritized a bigger budget on decoration than food. Waverly’s enthusiasm was contagious though and soon they’d put on a Christmas album on the old stereo and made a mess at the kitchen table.

Waverly had created a dozen paper cranes, that she hung in the kitchen window, and made little santa hats for them. She’d then somehow managed to make a foot tall Christmas tree out of paper and glue, and tinsel to wrap around, in the time Nicole had only really tied her wreath together for the front door, but not started decorating it yet.

Wynonna had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last twenty minutes after running out of the kitchen and coming back with something hidden under her sweater. The storybook she’d put up as a screen to cover whatever it was she was doing was working a little too well and Nicole wondered if she was doing tinsel out of condoms or something. She seemed way too focused and happy to be up to anything good.

Waverly noticed it too and tried to look but Wynonna swatted her away. Something in Nicole’s stomach unravelled and she felt some tension leave her shoulders.

“That looks really good, Nicole!” Waverly smiled and Nicole immediately felt a warmth going through her chest.

“You’re the one doing so much.” Nicole tried to make her voice steady. “These look really cute,” she said gesturing to the paper cranes. She didn’t know how to really talk to Waverly yet but a blush appeared over her cheeks so Nicole figured she’d said the right thing.

“I’ve got a lot of practice,” Waverly started but was interrupted when Wynonna suddenly got up with such force her chair fell backwards.

“BEHOLD, SUCKERS!” Wynonna held something up high. “THE MENSTRUAL ANGEL!”

It took a moment for Nicole to really see what Wynonna was holding. At the same time she got it though Waverly let out a belly laugh and the two sisters were soon in tears of laughter.

Wynonna dropped the angel and Nicole picked it up. It was an angel, completely made out of tampons. The base and body was made of clued together tampons of varying size, the face and wings were made with broken up ones, and the waist, neck and hands were marked with light blue tampon string.

Nicole shrugged and smiled. “For being a statement of rebellion it’s well constructed.”

“If that’s how you’re talking now you need to stop hanging out with Waverly.”

“Hey!” Waverly cried.

“But seriously though,” Wynonna got a shit-eating grin on her face. “What do you think Nedley and counsellor pep squad is going to say about this?”

For all the joking around they’d done during the morning it was clear they were all hesitant about going to the woods to find a tree like they’d been instructed to do. In the end they’d waited until the afternoon and the sun was on it’s way down.

Jeremy had joined them after lunch since he had been excused from making wreaths for all the buildings, considering his allergies. Nicole chose not to comment on the fact that they were going to shop down a whole tree and drag it back to camp, since he seemed to not really get along with his cabin mates. Also him being there made Waverly and Wynonna argue less.

“So, what are we looking for?” He started excitedly as soon as they’d entered to path in single file. “A full on Disney tree? Or HUGE and Hogwarts-like or more of a Charley Brown statement tree?”

Nicole who walked in front, with the axe attached to a belt Nedley had lent her, wasn’t sure what they were looking for. She figured it would be one of those _know it when you see it_ things.

“Just any tree at this point, it’s cold as fuck!” Wynonna shouted from the back.

“Because you choose to go through winter in a leather jacket!” Waverly scolded.

“You too cool for warmth, Earp?” Nicole asked.

“You shouldn’t speak, Red! I’ve not seen you wear neither gloves nor a hat and it’s minus a million out! At least I have a scarf and gloves!”

Nicole didn’t reply.

“Are you guys going to the New Years party?” Jeremy asked, effectively ending the argument.

“What party?” Wynonna asked, sounding just as grumpy as before.

“Big new years thing at the big house! We were encouraged in our pack-list to bring some form of formalwear. I brought a shirt and bow tie but I don’t own a blazer yet. Hope that’s gonna be enough,” Jeremy rambled.

Nicole had forgot about that. There was a black shirt in the bottom of her bag but that was it.

“I got it covered, thrifting for the planet!” Waverly exclaimed. “Also Wynonna you’re not getting out of it, I found something for you too!”

“I can pick my own clothes thank you,” Wynonna grumbled.

“Jeans with holes in them is not new years worthy!”

Wynonna walked past her sister and up to Nicole. “I am picking my own clothes and now hanging out with Red instead of you two dorks.”

Jeremy seemed to sink an inch into the ground but straightened up when Waverly gave him a side hug and a winning smile.

Nicole and Wynonna walked a few yards ahead and when Jeremy had to stop to tie a shoelace they kept going. It wasn’t that Nicole minded their company but she also felt like the constant banter was a bit much.

The path was a semi straight line and had widened enough for Wynonna to walk next to her. The woods had filled with shadows but with the wider path more sunlight filtered through and allowed them to walk unhindered.

Wynonna didn’t increase her stride with Nicole though.

“Hey are you okay?”

“Yeah, yep,” Wynonna answered not meeting her gaze.

“Just so you know I’m not super excited about the idea of a new years party either. Feels a bit weird you know. Like a middle school disco.” She hoped to get Wynonna in a better mood.

“Yea. I can’t say that I’m loving the idea but Waverly seems so happy about it.”

“It’s very sweet,” Nicole smiled.

“I just.” Wynonna seemed to struggle, and Nicole realised that she only really seemed to let any insecurity show when Waverly wasn’t there to see it. “I like that she focuses so much on normal stuff but also she cares so much about what people think.”

Nicole felt like that wasn’t the end of the sentence so she kept quiet, waiting for Wynonna to continue.

“And people don’t generally think a whole lot of good about me.”

There it was.

“Wynonna,” Nicole felt uncomfortable with taking the role of guide, but she also felt like some things were obvious from an outsider’s point of view. “Waverly cares about you. You’re both idiots to each other.”

“Hey!”

“But,” Nicole spoke over Wynonna. “She listens to you and I think she-“

They were interrupted by a scream coming from the woods. Somewhere from behind them there was a loud noise of broken branches and what Nicole really hoped wasn’t a chainsaw.

The snow made her slower than normal but Nicole was still fast. Wynonna was somewhere behind her but Nicole was sure she could get to whoever needed help in time. She tried thinking about what she could actually do and before she could figure that out the screaming sounded again. Further away. With Waverly’s voice.

_Fuck!_

Nicole jumped down a small slope, landed hard, but continued running.

“Nicole!” she heard Wynonna call from behind but she didn’t slow.

“I’ll get her!” Nicole shouted back.

“Nicole stop!” Wynonna shouted, but her voice were already further away.

She got to a clearing and slowed to a stop to listen.

Nothing.

She couldn’t hear any wind moving through the trees, no footsteps and no more screams.

She stayed still for another few seconds.

“Waverly!” She shouted.

Nothing.

She turned around. Wynonna should have caught up with her by now.

“Wynonna!”

No response.

Nicole’s mind started to race. She had to focus to keep her breathing even and not panic. She’d done it again. She’d gotten lost in the woods when really she was the one who was supposed to help. She was faster and stronger than the others and all she’d done was get herself lost in woods.

“WYNONNA!”

She listened but heard nothing.

She looked down and sure there was snow in the clearing where her footsteps were clear but from where she’d come the ground was bare and covered in pine needles. Pine needles and dirt that showed no clear indication of tracks.

It was getting darker and when she wasn’t running anymore she started to feel the cold creep into her body. For the millionth time she wished she had a hat and for the millionth time she didn’t regret wearing the one her mom had found for her. She put her hood up instead but the wind still moved the cold around her ears and down her neck.

“WAVERLY” she shouted again.

Tears made her cheeks wet and she hurried to brush them away before they could freeze and make her even colder. She already felt like she couldn’t breathe through her nose because of the moist frozen inside.

Jeremy was freaking out, Wynonna wouldn’t stop pacing and Waverly couldn’t stop shaking.

That didn’t stop her from taking control though since both of the others seemed to be in a panic.

“We need to find Nicole, now!”

“No shit, Sherlock!” Wynonna yelled back.

“We should go back, get help and start a wider search,” Waverly urged.

“We can’t leave her in the woods!”

“We’re not. But just standing here doesn’t help either!”

“I’m sure Nicole is fine. She’s like a super Lumberjane,” Jeremy rambled quickly.

“A what?”

“A Lumberjane! Kind of like a scout for badass lady types but a bit gay!”

Waverly starred at Jeremy who covered his mouth with his hands.

“Was her being gay a secret because I didn’t mean to out her I mean what do I know but also those flannels and the swagger doesn’t lie but-“

“Jeremy!” Waverly interrupted. “It’s fine, we just need to find her.”

“Why are you freaking out though?” Jeremy turned to Wynonna. “I get why I’m freaking out but that’s because I’m terrified of the idea of being stuck in the snow while no help is coming but why are you scared?”

Waverly saw Wynonna stop pacing to eye Jeremy properly, before continuing walking back and forth.

“Okay..” Jeremy said, starting to jump on the spot.

“We need help and we’re going to get it.” Waverly said with as much determination she could muster and turned back towards camp. To her relief she heard both Jeremy and Wynonna join her.

As soon as they had chosen a path Waverly’s brain started to spin with possibilities though. Nicole stuck under a landslide, Nicole bitten by wolves, Nicole trampled by moose.

But of course those things were the obvious, reasonable possibilities. What she should fear was whatever the monster or monsters would do to her once they got her.

It did make something clear though. Whatever it was that was haunting them only attacked one person at a time. They had all been in the woods and Nicole had been the only one with an actual weapon and yet it had been her that had been attacked. As soon as Waverly had realised they’d been separated she’d urged Jeremy along to find them and by then Wynonna was alone. Her sister had been rambling about another gunshot and Waverly who’d heard no such thing immediately took hold of the other two.

By the time they got back to camp Wynonna was looking over her shoulder more often than she was looking ahead. Jeremy seemed to have realised that something had spooked them more than was reasonable, but hadn’t asked yet.

Nedley met them once they set foot on the ploughed up square.

“Did you let Nicole carry the tree by herself? What happened to group effort?” He asked but then seemed to give them a closer look. “Waverly, where is Nicole.”

This is when Waverly lost it.

“Nicole is gone! She went running off and we couldn’t find her,” Waverly cried and Wynonna was immediately next to her.

“So you left her?” Nedley questioned.

“We couldn’t find her so we went for help,” Wynonna cut in. “So help, please?” her sister sounded far from pleasant but then for once Waverly didn’t blame her.

Nedley didn’t even flinch.

“Go inside. Tell that Doc boy that we have a lost camper and to start a search. All other campers should be in their cabins.” With that he straightened his hat and stepped past them into the woods.

The wait was the worst. They’d gone to find Doc who’d been smoking behind the house but as soon as he heard about Nicole being lost it was like he turned into someone else. He had zipped his jacket closed and slipped away into the now almost pitch black woods.

Waverly realised why Nedley had asked for him. Doc had seemed like the kind of person putting more effort into avoiding work than it would have taken to do it in the first place. But apparently was good in an emergency.

“I’m sure it’s going to fine,” Jeremy said for what must have been the millionth time and Wynonna visibly snapped.

“No it’s not just going to be fine! We dragged Nicole into this and we should be the ones dragging her out again! But instead we’re here like a bunch of total losers!”

“Wynonna, it’s not his fault!”

“No, Waverly, it’s mine! I know!”

The three of them had gone to their cabin, sitting in Waverly’s room where they could see the edge of the woods. They’d turned all the lights off to see outside and their mood wasn’t helped by the dark.

“Wynonna,” Waverly dared stepping towards her sister. “It’s not your fault. I’m as much to blame as you.”

“Waverly I am the reason everything bad that’s ever happened to you happened. And now Nicole is in trouble too so of course it’s my fault!”

Waverly didn’t know what to say. It was bullshit and Wynonna should know that but apparently she didn’t.

Despite her sister flinching away Waverly pulled her closer and into an awkward hug. Her arms wrapped around her sister who slumped and despite her taller frame was leaning her head on Waverly’s shoulder.

“What is happening?” Jeremy whispered.

“The woods is haunted and I’m not sure if it’s us or camp in general but something is out to get us using those woods.”

“Shit,” Jeremy stopped still for the first time. “I did not see that one coming.”

“Please,” Waverly asked, still holding her sister. “Please don’t tell anyone else. We’re not sure what it is and until we do no one will believe us.”

“For sure, for sure,” Jeremy mumbled and sat down on Waverly’s bed. “Also can I come stay with you? Our cabin smells like feet and yours smells much better.”

“Not the time Jeremy,” Wynonna’s muffled voice came from within Waverly’s arms.

“Right right. Get Nicole first.”

It got darker outside and soon they couldn’t see anything but vague shadows and every time one of them caught their own reflection in the window they jumped, causing the others to do the same.

Waverly had the idea to make tea but also struggled with the idea to enjoying a warm drink when Nicole was out in the cold.

Also. A thought had had been coming back every time she batted it away was Jeremy’s observation about her sexuality. Wynonna hadn’t even flinched which didn’t have to mean anything. But it could also mean that it was true. But why Waverly kept thinking about it was a mystery. It wasn’t like she had an issue with it!

Shame collected somewhere in her chest and she felt anxiety creep up her throat.

“Wave, you okay?”

Waverly nodded at Jeremy with a smile. “Fine. Just worried.”

Waverly hadn’t actually met any gay people that she’d known of. And felt silly for feeling surprised about Nicole. It’s just Nicole just seemed too nice to fit the idea of what a lesbian was.. Not that she had many sources. Several boys at school had been bullied for being gay regardless if they were or not. But no girls had ever been called anything related to the LGBT terms.

It wasn’t until she thought about it that the penny dropped how stupid her visual idea of a lesbian was. They were just like anyone else and that was okay.

Still, that phrasing made her somehow feel even worse.

“Waverly!” Jeremy screamed from where he stood at the window. “I see something!”

They all crowded at the window.

Out of the woods walked three figures, closely huddled together.

“Nicole,” Waverly breathed out and ran to the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm really conflicted about this story but I also want to publish it all. The practice is needed!   
> If you're still here I'm deeply grateful


	4. C o l d

Nicole felt worse than she had in her life. She could hardly move her legs at all and was mostly held up by Nedley. She’d tried to get her hair out of her eyes but her fingers wouldn’t work.

She didn’t notice the others coming towards them until Nedley grunted to give them space so they could get her inside.

Her. Nicole had been the one ruining the afternoon with her need to help and again she’d become a victim. She’d ran into the woods without thinking. She had made herself an easy target. Both her body and mind felt sluggish, but the thought of guilt was stuck in a loop in her head.

“Here, sit down, kid,” Nedley said too gently. Not letting go of her until she was fully seated on the couch in his office.

“I’m okay,” she tried but was ignored and instead given a cup of hot chocolate wrapped in a tea towel. She rested it in her lap not to show her worry about dropping it.

Whatever had stopped her campmates from following in to the house wasn’t stopping them anymore.

“Nicole!” Waverly’s voice sounded from the hallway along with what sounded like a hoard of footsteps.

“Dude, are you okay?” Wynonna asked, somehow making it inside faster than her sister. There was however no chance for Nicole to respond before she was enveloped in a hug.

“What the hell! You shouldn’t have run off!” Waverly punched Nicole in the arm. She tried to not grimace but it really did hurt. Her skin felt like it was made of crystallised sugar.

“Sorry!” Waverly squealed. “I’m happy you’re okay!”

“Thanks, Waverly.”

Nicole looked around the room. Noticing one person missing and immediately getting a pulse again. “Where is Jeremy?”

“Cool down, Red.” Wynonna started before Waverly interrupted.

“But not literally! You need to get warm! Do you need a blanket? I’ll get one.”

“Jeremy,” Wynonna said, taking charge of the conversation again. “Is in the cabin. Building a blanket fort in our room.” She sounded annoyed by this but a twinkle in her eye told Nicole that if Wynonna had not wanted a blanket fort, there would be no blanket fort. “She can stay with us right? She doesn’t have to go to hospital or anything?”

Nicole felt touched Wynonna cared so much.

“No, she’ll be okay to sleep in the cabin,” Nedley said from his spot next to Nicole.

“I swear I’m fine,” Nicole tried.

“Doesn’t mean we’re not going to talk about this tomorrow,” Nedley said and Nicole’s stomach dropped. How did you avoid explaining about hauntings in the woods? Or, was there even anything to tell? Nicole shouldn’t have run off, demon or not.

“Nicole you think you’ll be okay? I would suggest a shower but there won’t be any hot water now. Just make sure to get some clean clothes on and a good nights sleep.”

“Yea, I’ll be okay.” Nicole stood up and immediately felt wobbly. Her feet still like two useless blocks of ice.

“If you’ll allow me.” Doc spoke for the first time since they’d come inside. He scooped her up bridal style and despite her yelp and complaints he didn’t let her down.

The cold felt like an assault to her system when they stepped outside again and Nicole had to struggle to stop herself from leaning closer to Doc for warmth. Seemed his coat had lost some of the smoke smell from the cold wind but she wasn’t keen on snuggling up with the counsellor regardless.

“Don’t get used to this treatment, Red. If you run off again you might not get the princess treatment a second time,” Wynonna said too happily.

“Shut up, Earp.”

Waverly said nothing.

Doc hadn’t let her down until they were in Nicole and Wynonna’s bedroom but once she was on a bed he’d left. Nicole didn’t know whether to thank him or yell at him but was distracted once she realized she needed help untying her shoes. Waverly jumped to help out but when Wynonna suggested she help Nicole with changing the rest of her clothes too Waverly had run off to help Jeremy.

“What was up with her?”

“I don’t know,” Nicole answered honestly. She was grateful it was Wynonna who helped her get off her jeans and hoodie before her limbs started working well enough to not constantly drop things.

It got quiet between them and the silence stretched a few moments too long.

“Look I’m sorry I ran off,” Nicole said. “It’s just. I heard a scream and I wanted to help.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Wynonna handed Nicole a pair of knitted socks that didn’t belong to her. Nicole put them on anyway.

“I’m not the one to yell at you for being rash but we need to be smarter if we’re going to fight this.”

The tight knot came back to Nicole’s chest. “I know.”

“Dude, I’m not criticising you.”

“Well maybe you should!”

“What why?” Wynonna looked honestly confused and Nicole felt impossibly worse.

“I assume you heard something as well. And if it was the demon, ghost, or whatever, I did exactly what it wanted. I ran off.”

Wynonna was quiet for a moment. “Are you saying it won’t attack us in a group?”

“Yea obviously-“

Wynonna put both her hands over Nicole’s mouth and got a worryingly big grin her face.

“Nicole! It won’t attack groups! That’s how we’ll fight it!”

The idea of fighting something you couldn’t see didn’t seem easier just because you were in a group. But Nicole also wasn’t about to rain on Wynonna’s parade.

“For tonight,” Wynonna clapped her a little too hard on the shoulder. “We’ll just not die okay.”

“Sure,” Nicole mumbled, definitely lacking the confidence she’d want in her voice. Fortunately for her Wynonna was either not super deceptive or didn’t care to comment on Nicole’s mood. Instead she opened the bedroom door towards the livingroom and indicated for Nicole to follow.

There were fairy lights hanging from all over in the living room and beneath the sofa on the thick rug was a nest of matrasses, pillows and blankets. Waverly and Jeremy sat on the sofa with blankets around their pyjamas-clad shoulders, holding mugs steaming with something.

The whole scene made Nicole feel a million times worse.

“Sorry, I just need to uuh.. go to the bathroom,” she stammered and almost ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

With the door locked she leaned against it and put her palms hard against her face, breathing raggedly and trying hard to not let her legs bend beneath her.

She’d only been alone in the woods for a little over an hour. It was nothing on the grand scheme of things, but it had felt like much longer. She had tried making her way back but with the woods full of shadows she’d lost her way, and she’d realised after only a few minutes that the tracks in the snow that she could see weren’t necessarily made by her.

Something had followed her, just out of sight. Now with her back against the door, grounding her, she tried to remember something about it.

There hadn't been any trails of blood like the time before. Just the feeling that something hunting her was right behind her and that something important was just out of reach. Every time she'd decided on staying in one place there had been a noise, a movement in the shadows or a strong feeling telling her she should move, just a minute more. Until she couldn't see anything she recognised. Even the terrain had changed and instead of thick pine and spruce woods the world consisted of tall leaf trees that was long since asleep in their winter nakedness. The ground was covered in tracks and it had been impossible for Nicole to see which were hers. 

She had called out but not heard anything back. Twice she had heard another scream and both times she had resisted running towards it. 

Her feet and hands were still cold but she felt like she was sweating. Nedley had showed up out of nowhere with Doc in tow, and like a child she had run towards him. The last second before she reached him she'd worried he's disappear but he'd taken a firm hold of her shoulder and she'd started to cry. He'd put his jacket around her, not seeming to feel the cold himself, and started leading her back. 

That's where it had gotten worse. It was like her body allowed itself to relax before her mind had said it was okay. She's started to shiver worse than before and she'd stumbled rather than walked. Doc had said something but Nicole hadn't heard what. Her ears had hurt, her jaw had hurt and her chest had screamed despite the layers covering it. 

She didn't really remember the way back to camp. Only that Nedley hadn't stopped talking and that by the time they could see the beams of light she was walking a little easier, still half supported by the two men. 

Two men. Helping her. A girl. A useless, weak girl. 

Nicole wanted to punch her own reflection in the bathroom mirror but resisted. 

_You don't dare,_ a voice said in her head. 

"No," she whispered, clenching her fist. 

Instead of kicking the door open she opened it with her whole hand carefully around the handle.

“You alright?” Waverly was right there.

Nicole mumbled an affirmative.

“Sure? We can skip the whole sleep over thing.” Waverly sounded like she would prefer to drown kittens.

“No, no let’s go back.” Nicole tried moving past Waverly but for some reason, the younger girl didn’t budge. “Waverly-“

“Nicole-“ They spoke at the same time and then went quiet. Waverly spoke again before Nicole had a chance to. “You know you can tell us about what happened. What really happened.”

Nicole wondered what she meant by that.

“We won’t judge you and we-” Waverly looked down at her fuzzy socks. “I care.”

Warmth bloomed back into Nicole’s chest. Just a tiny bud, but it was enough to make her drop her raised shoulders and unclench her closed fists.

“Thank you, Waverly.”

“I put your hot chocolate in a thermos. Or would you prefer something else?”

While Nicole’s chest experienced a growing warmth, her stomach was empty.

“I would love some hot chocolate, thanks.”

“I smuggled some milk and cocoa powder from the kitchens. And, everyone got sandwiches when,” she paused before continuing. “Earlier, and there are some left for you.”

“That sounds good,” Nicole said weakly.

“We can microwave them so the cheese melts. Although you might have to fight off Wynonna if you do that.” Waverly smiled and Nicole felt like a battle with Wynonna would be okay.

“I can take her.”

Waverly raised a finger and lowered an eyebrow. “You have not seen Wynonna in her quest for cheese.”

“You have not seen me in a fight,” Nicole persisted, feeling pleased in her ability to sound more confident again. Waverly looked like she was equally intrigued and doubtful.

Nicole followed Waverly back into the living room where Jeremy and Wynonna were attempting to grill marshmallows over a lit candle.

“Come on,” Wynonna whined. “Jeremy has already burned two of them. And they’re precious loot!”

“Hey!” Jeremy complained but Waverly immediately got their attention away from the marshmallows by producing a bag of red liquorice from what seemed to be thin air.

“Hey, Red!”

Nicole rolled her eyes. Wynonna really needed to be more inventive with the nicknames. Although she was hoping she never found out her last name.

Waverly watched Nicole carefully during the rest of the night. It was clear more had happened in the woods than she was saying but it was also obvious she wasn’t ready to talk about it. She ate the food and drank two mugs of hot chocolate but when Jeremy had fallen asleep with Wynonna snoring next to him, Nicole still seemed wide awake though she must have been exhausted.

Waverly had gone to get some new batteries for the fairy lights and came back to Nicole sitting in a tight ball on the sofa.

“Hey, you need anything?” Waverly asked, knowing Nicole would say no but feeling like she needed to ask.

Nicole shook her head.

“You wanna talk about it? Or I don’t know, call home?”

Nicole’s forehead crinkled into a frown.

“No.”

“It’s okay to want your family.”

Nicole instantly bristled and Waverly knew she had gone too far.

“I don’t want to talk to parents!”

“Okay.” Waverly felt stupid for asking. It wasn’t like she was able to call her own mom and cry. Gus usually had a shoulder to cry on but never for more than 15 minutes. Curtis was the one she could really talk to but he wasn’t her father. Parents didn’t choose their kids, but Gus and Curtis had chosen to take care of Waverly and Wynonna. And it made Waverly feel like she had to try harder for them to like her.

She always felt a double sidedness to kids who yelled at their parents. Because sure, it was universally acknowledged that it was okay to fight with your parents. Only Waverly didn’t have parents at all.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No,” Nicole looked at her. “I’m sorry. I just. I really don’t want to talk to them.”

“Okay.”

“Aren’t you tired?” She asked, bags under her own eyes.

Waverly dared sitting down next to Nicole, reaching for the dying fairy light laying across the backrest of the couch. “Not really.” Waverly didn’t sleep great usually and she still hadn’t gotten used to nights at camp. “But you look like you should sleep.”

“Are you telling me I look awful?” Nicole smiled and Waverly felt red explode over her skin.

“What no! You look great!” Waverly rambled.

“I feel like I’ve run a marathon through a zombie swamp,” Nicole mumbled.

“You look beautiful.”

Nicole’s eyes flashed with something and looked at her before Waverly could run away.

“I mean!” she started.

Nicole said nothing. Just smiled. And Waverly felt warmth in her chest.

“I need to switch these batteries.”

“Sure, Waverly,” Nicole said, getting up.

“I didn’t mean,” Waverly had no idea what she meant but Nicole shrugged and lifted her hands in the air. How she managed to look so cool and beautiful in sweats and hoodie, Waverly couldn’t figure out and she suddenly felt incredibly childish in her pyjamas.

“It’s okay Waverly.” Nicole spoke like it was the truth. “I’m just going to brush my teeth and then try and sleep. So I’ll be back.”

She left and Waverly let her head fall onto her crossed legs as she heard the door to the bathroom lock.

When Nicole came back it was as if the exchange hadn’t happened and Nicole sat down on the floor next to Wynonna, leaving Waverly to get the couch.

“If you want you can have the couch?”

Nicole smiled but didn’t move. “Take the couch Waverly. I’m too tall for it anyway.”

“Okay,” Waverly pulled a pile of blankets over herself. “But if you change your mind we can switch.”

“Sure, Waverly,” Nicole said, her face gone from Waverly’s view as she laid down on a pile of pillows. Waverly couldn’t determine what her tone of voice was but decided not to press. She didn’t want to be an annoyance.

Waverly must have fallen asleep pretty quickly but she woke up when it was still pitch black outside and the fairy lights left a soft glow of light in the room.

Wynonna must have gotten up at some point because there was a whiskey bottle at her feet. All three of them were still there though. Jeremy, Wynonna and Nicole sleeping on two matrasses and a pile of pillows and blankets. It made Waverly feel lonely even though she was just a foot away.

They had created the “sleep over” as a distraction to what was happening around them. But now Waverly realised they hadn’t closed the blinds and she felt incredibly watched. With the soft light from inside the room and the darkness outside all she could see in the windows was reflections. Someone could be watching them from outside and she would never know.

_Scary shit demons are not allowed to ruin this_ , Waverly thought and put a foot onto the ice-cold floor.

Wynonna had warned her to stay away from the windows, but if her sister had been awake, she would have closed the blinds. Regardless of her fears.

She let the blinds fall on the first window and then moved towards the second.

As long as she didn’t open them or went outside she would the safe. The demon could tempt her and trick her but not harm her inside the house. Not that she’d been hurt at all so far. She rubbed her arm anxiously. The year before it was Wynonna who had taken the brunt of the damage. Waverly had been terrified but not physically hurt. It had been one of the reasons no one had believed Wynonna when she claimed to have been a target. Why only target one girl? But Waverly had believed her. She had tried to make the police understand but no one had been very willing to listen to a 14-year-old who was already record as an unreliable source of information concerning the death of her father.

Waverly had turned 15 in September but that hadn’t changed much. Boys had continued to be dicks but in different ways, teachers had started telling her she was grown-up, but Wynonna, Gus and Curtis treated her the same as always; like the one who needed to be protected. As if she hadn’t protected Wynonna since she was able to walk and talk.

She reached for the blind on the window when the glass shattered inwards into a thousand pieces, spraying her with shards and making her loose her balance.

Wynonna was woken up abruptly by a loud noise but was stopped from getting up by someone tackling her down among the pillows.

“What the hell!” she grumbled, trying to shift the body that covered her.

“Wynonna are you okay?” Nicole sat back on her knees, pulling away a blanket she must have thrown over Jeremy before Wynonna was even aware anything was happening.

“What was that?” Jeremy stage whispered, still laying down.

“Wait, where’s-“ Nicole started but a small voice interrupted her.

“Hey, guys,” Waverly said from across the room. “I think …I think-”

Her little sister was only vaguely illuminated by the lights in the room. Wynonna couldn’t see her features, but she could see her collapse from sitting to laying on her back.

“Waverly!” Wynonna struggled out of the blankets and ran towards her sister.

“Ow,” Waverly whined and Wynonna felt a small piece of relief at hearing her voice. Then she saw the blood. The spots of blood covering Waverly’s jumper and hands.

She got down on the floor next to Waverly despite the glass covering the floor.

“Hey, baby girl are you okay?”

“The window,” Waverly said, half panicked. “It just shattered!”

“What do you mean it just shattered?!”

“Get away from the window!” Nicole screamed and Wynonna reacted before she had time to think her actions through. She dragged Waverly across the floor towards the middle of the room.

As soon as she had stopped and Jeremy crouched over Waverly, Wynonna stood up and turned towards the window.

“Wynonna no!” Nicole screamed at her but Wynonna didn’t care. She ran to the window, glass penetrating the soles of her feet.

“NOT MY SISTER YOU BITCH!” she screamed out the window.

Just as she got her eyes to focus a shape disappeared into the woods. A dark shape with a crooked smile.

It was there. She had seen it. The demon really had a face and it had tried to harm her sister. It had _managed_ to harm her sister.

Wynonna was vibrating with anger so bad she couldn’t calm enough to get air in her lungs.

“Earp!”

Wynonna turned around and instantly her anger melted away, replaced by worry. Waverly was on the floor, bleeding.

“Hey baby girl, you’re going to be okay.” She sat down and pulled Waverly half into her arms. The affection between her and Waverly had never really been physical. Sure they’d hugged and fought but Wynonna could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d really held Waverly or vice versa.

“I’m going to get the first aid kit, okay?” Nicole mumbled. Wynonna didn’t look at her but Nicole continued anyway. “We should move into one of the bedrooms since the window will let in the cold.”

Wynonna sat still and held her sister. Waverly let go briefly but as soon as she realised Wynonna wasn’t pushing her away, she clung to her. making Wynonna feel even worse for not holding Waverly often enough.

“It’ll be okay,” Wynonna whispered into her hair.

When she raised her eyes she could see Nicole being back, gently lifting Waverly’s sweater and pyjamas underneath, revealing a slash wound just under her ribs.

“I can’t see any pieces in the wound but we should clean it before dressing it.”

“Dude, she’s bleeding!”

“Not enough for something to be badly broken and if we cover it now we risk pushing glass and dirt further in!”

Wynonna wanted to argue but what Nicole said made sense.

“Anywhere else, Wave?” she asked Waverly instead.

“I don’t know,” Waverly sniffled. “It really fudging hurts though.”

“Jeremy, can you get the vacuum cleaner in here?” Nicole addressed Jeremy who seemed relieved to have something to do.

“Hey Waverly?” Wynonna was not prepared for how soft Nicole sounded with Waverly. “I’m going to clean the cut now and that’s going to hurt.”

“Maybe we should let actual medics do that!”

“OOOOW” Waverly gripped hold of Wynonna enough to hurt.

“I am trained in this sort of thing,” Nicole said while cleaning the area and then putting on a sterile compress with some surgical tape.

“You’re what? Seventeen?!”

“Sixteen,” Nicole said evenly. “I took a class.”

The sound of the vacuum cleaner would have drowned out any response she might have had so she gritted her teeth instead. She was grateful, of course she was. She wouldn’t have a clue of what to do but it still hurt that Nicole had been the one to help Waverly. And that was after she had thrown herself over Wynonna, first thing, acting as a human shield before Wynonna had time to even realise something was happening.

Jeremy moved around them, vacuuming up every piece of glass that had followed with them to the centre of the room.

“I feel like we handled this great!” he said happily.

Wynonna carefully lifted Waverly to her feet.

“But why did the window break? And why were you next to it? There might have been tension in the glass but it didn’t seem new so why it broke now is a mystery,” Jeremy rambled and Wynonna wished for the millionth time that Waverly had a less annoying choice of friends.

“I saw something,” Waverly said weakly.

Wynonna flinched. “Yea, I saw it too.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly started. “How did it reach into the boundaries of the cabin? It couldn’t do that last year.”

Wynonna had no answer.

Waverly had just been stabbed by a self-exploding window, and both her and Wynonna had apparently seen something outside. Something that spooked them both and yet they were both totally calm about it. Nicole had to actively work hard not to hyperventilate.

The sisters moved towards Waverly’s room while Nicole and Jeremy stood still behind them.

“I’m not sure what just happened,” Jeremy said.

“You and me both.”

“But, so there’s some kind of supernatural entity trying to eat us?”

“Waverly told you??”

“It’s trying to eat us???”

Nicole rubbed her temples. “No, I don’t know.”

Jeremy lowered his raised hands and started fiddling with the sleeves of his Spiderman hoodie. “But there is something supernatural going on?”

Nicole couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. In their pyjamas, in the middle of the night, at camp.

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t just get lost in the woods, right?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

Nicole tried to think of a way to answer but realised she still didn’t fully know. She also wasn’t sure whether she could talk to Jeremy yet. She eyed him for a second and the fuzzy socks he’d borrowed off Waverly and his puppy eyes convinced her.

“Something is in those woods, trying to use our fears against us.”

“Like a boggart?”

Nicole half laughed. “Yea, like a boggart. But we’re not sure what it wants.” She glanced at Waverly’s now closed door. “Earp and Earp experienced this last year and it ended badly. I’m not entirely clear on how yet but considering none of the other campers from last year will talk to them I assume it wasn’t good.”

“Tucker Gardner.”

“Who?”

Jeremy scratched his head. “Tucker Gardner was here last year and he follows Waverly around whenever Wynonna isn’t there.”

“The guy who put snow in Waverly’s coat?”

“The one and only.”

Nicole couldn’t believe that had happened not even two days earlier.

Jeremy continued. “I tried talking to him but he just ignored me.”

“He seems like a creep.”

“I thought heroes weren’t supposed to talk bad of people?”

“What?”

“Cause you know,” Jeremy said, taking an arms load of blankets off the floor. “You’re a hero. You were the one who protected us all and then helped heal Waverly.”

“I put on a band aid, that’s not healing.”

Jeremy waved a hand, unintentionally dropping half the blankets. “Still a hero.”

“You watch too many superhero movies.”

Jeremy instantly slumped his shoulders and Nicole realised she’d hit a sore spot.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean watching movies are a bad thing.” She picked up the blankets. “I mean, you quickly believed me when I told you we’re haunted by some kind of demon and that’s incredible.”

Jeremy lit back up. Then shivered. “Should we try and cover that up?” he asked, pointing at the broken window.

The alternatives were leaving it open, letting cold air and snow into the cabin, going after Nedley and by that actually going outside, or they could cover it up.

Nicole decided that duct tape and a quilt would be their best plan. Wynonna came back out to check on them and decided that turning over the kitchen table and put it against the window was also a good idea. It didn’t cover the window completely but they balanced a chair on top as well.

“This is not great,” Nicole observed after they were done.

“At least we’ll hear if something is trying to sneak in.”

“Will we?” Nicole bit her lip and wished she hadn’t asked. 


	5. Words unclear and not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting comments and kudos has been the best! Thank you  
> I feel like there is a lot to work on in this chapter and it's a bit choppy.. But I appreciate you reading so much!

Nicole woke up, with a headache worse than death, by a loud knock on the front door.

Someone else was already up and ready to answer it though, if the padding of footsteps in the next room were anything to go by. Then she remembered and shot upright, making herself wobble before catching her balance.

“What in the name of The Rolling Stones happened in here??” Nedley asked from the front door.

“We had an incident last night.” Nicole heard Waverly reply.

Wynonna was still in bed, not having woken up from the loud knock, and Jeremy sat up anxiously on the bed opposite. Nicole moved from her pile of blankets on the floor and into the living room.

It was freezing in there and Nicole felt like her cold feet were being assaulted by the even colder floor.

“You didn’t think to come get a grown-up?”

Nicole didn’t want to say the truth. It sounded stupid during the day to say they’d been too scared to go outside.

“Well?” He prompted.

“Something broke the window,” Waverly said to the floor.

“I can see that.”

When neither Waverly nor Nicole said anything else he sighed loudly and removed his hat.

“We better get that window fixed and you better let me know more about what’s going on.” He turned to leave then stopped. “Did anyone get hurt?”

Waverly flinched and Nedley got a much softer expression on his face. “Waverly?”

“It’s fine.”

“Just you or anyone else?”

Waverly’s response made Nicole confused.

“Just me” she said and bowed her head, as if she was ashamed.

“In that case come with me to the big house. I want you checked out,” Nedley said calmly before turning to Nicole. “You too. I can see you’re up and standing but I want the medic to check you anyway.”

Nicole nodded and went back into the bedroom to collect a fresh hoodie and a hair tie.

“Everything okay?” Jeremy asked and it accoutred to Nicole that he might not have come outside because he wasn’t technically allowed to be in the cabin at all.

“Yea,” she whispered, not wanting to wake Wynonna. “Me and Waverly are going to the house. Could you tell Wynonna where we are when she wakes up?”

“Sure boss,” Jeremy said and saluted.

Nicole rolled her eyes and left the room.

Waverly didn’t look her in the eye when they put on their shoes to leave. It wasn’t until Nicole tried to catch her gaze that she realised how much Waverly usually communicated with her eyes. She had known her for about 36 hours and yet it felt strange when the younger girl kept her eyes on the ground.

“You okay? Does it hurt?” She asked but Waverly just muttered a negative.

They were escorted into the office and Waverly was asked to show the cut on her stomach. Nicole instinctively moved to sit next to her but Waverly shied away, putting more distance between them.

“Nicole how are you doing?” The nurse asked.

“I’m okay. Still a bit cold.”

“That’s understandable. I suggest you take a warm shower today before the hot water runs out.”

“Sure,” Nicole said, looking at Waverly who was laying on the sofa so the nurse could look at the cut.

“Who did this?” The nurse pointed at the bandage.

“Me,” Nicole said straight away. She wasn’t going to let anyone else take the blame if she’d done it wrong.

“This was good, but I would have preferred to have checked it out straight away,” he said, directing his attention to Waverly. “How do you feel? It’s a bit red but the cut looks clean.”

“I’m fine,” Waverly mumbled.

He evidently decided not to press and instead cleaned and redressed her wound again.

“It has stopped bleeding, so it doesn’t need stitches, but you need to keep it clean and dry until it’s healed up a bit.”

As soon as he finished with Waverly she sat back up and shrunk into the sofa. Nicole wanted everyone else out of the room so she could talk to Waverly but Nedley addressed them instead.

“Okay, so now I want you to tell me what’s going on.”

The nurse seemed inclined to stay but Nedley gestured for him to leave.

“Shouldn’t Wynonna be here?” Nicole asked.

“I’ll talk to her, and Chetri as well. For now, I want to hear from you two.” He sounded completely calm but there was a definite tone of no nonsense or lies allowed.

“You can’t lock her up again,” Waverly whispered.

“Kid,” Nedley sat down on a chair opposite Waverly, leaving Nicole the only one standing. “I know something is wrong and that something is not your sister’s mind.”

For the first time all morning Waverly looked up. She seemed to struggle with herself and whatever side won was the one wanting to keep quiet.

Nicole wanted to speak but Waverly’s silence made her cautious.

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me,” he said after another moment of silence.

“You have to believe me though,” Waverly was shaking now and Nicole ached to put an arm around her. She didn’t know Waverly was this anxious. Otherwise she’d never raised her voice at her.

“Something is wrong in these woods,” Nedley said. Apparently deciding the best way to win them over was to talk himself. “For a few years I’ve seen some strange things around here but it all got worse last year.” He spoke slowly with a low voice, keeping his focus on Waverly. “When the cops came in last year, I didn’t know what to say. You can’t put supernatural occurrences in the paperwork, and I would lose this place completely if I spoke up.” He sounded ashamed. “I need to keep this place up but if you kids aren’t safe here, there’s no point.”

“What did you see?” Nicole asked.

“Things that weren’t there. I heard noises that came from nowhere. And something’s been off with the trails.”

“That’s how I got lost,” Nicole said. “They changed.” She took a breath and hoped he understood. “I don’t get lost.”

“But even last year,” Waverly spoke up. “Last year it couldn’t hurt us inside the cabins. It tried to lure us out there but it never physically hurt us until now.”

“You said it feeds on our fears. That it seems to adapt to whomever it’s attacking.” Nicole turned to Wavery.

“It also never went after more than one person at a time.” Waverly said.

“But we were all in the woods,” Nicole argued.

“Yet it didn’t make us all lost. It lured you away and then got you lost.”

“Okay so we need to be more vigilant with the buddy-system.”

Nicole snorted at Nedley’s words.

“It will at least keep you moderately safe,” Nedley scolded. “And we’re going to put shutters on all the windows during the night. Not sure it will stop it but it’s something.”

Nicole realised there was one thing they weren’t discussing.

Parents.

There was no talk of calling any parents. Parents were always called. But Nicole supposed, in this case, that there were fewer kids at the camp with parents who cared, than those whose parents would see a call from camp as an annoyance rather than a reassurance. Her own parents certainly wouldn’t care. They would let her leave if she wanted to. If she could find a ride to somewhere. And find somewhere to stay until they could pick her up again. But they would never come get her for something as silly as _it’s scary_.

Waverly had a headache but hadn’t taken any of the painkillers offered to her. Part of her reasoned she didn’t need them, that she should just drink water. Another part of her felt she didn’t deserve them. If she hadn’t approached the window in the middle of the night, while having the feeling of being watched, none of the drama that had got them into trouble would have happened.

Another part of her brain, that sounded suspiciously like Jeremy, screamed at her that they needed help. But Waverly’s first priority was Wynonna. And this wasn’t the first thing that had happened around her sister.

“Hey can we talk?”

Nicole made her thoughts change direction. Stupid, brave and beautiful Nicole. Who had just turned up, out of nowhere, become friends with Wynonna and made Waverly’s heart flutter.

_Stupid teenage crush_ , she scolded herself. She had found women attractive for as long as she could remember but never had she wanted to hold hands with someone so much. Or draw her fingers through their hair. Nicole had been cool enough as it was but looking at her now. If any of the boys at school, or anyone she knew, had been so brave as she’d been the night before they would be smug and bragging about it. Nicole had instead chosen to be gentle, not pushing Waverly when she tried to push her away but not left her alone either.

“I should,” Waverly tried but Nicole looked at her with those big puppy eyes and she couldn’t refuse. “Sure.”

“This thing that’s going on. We need to talk about it.”

Waverly wondered how Nicole could be so calm. Her own heart was beating so hard she felt slightly nauseous. “Yea, sure. But like. How long have you known?” Wow that sounded cheesy. Maybe Nicole wasn’t even setting a label on her own sexuality.

“I’m still not sure I know,” Nicole said pulling her hood around her neck more snuggly, making Waverly lose focus. “I mean this is insane.”

That hurt.

“Is it that bad?”

“I mean, yes. How are we going to fix this. Feels like everyone will be in danger and-“

“Wait what?”

“Yea,” Nicole looked at her intently and the penny dropped.

“Shit.”

“What?” Nicole looked at her with big non-understanding eyes.

Waverly ran away.

Wynonna wasn’t in the cabin when she came back and neither was Jeremy. Not wanting to be caught up and cornered by Nicole, Waverly changed quickly into jeans and a knitted sweater before running back out the door and towards the mess hall.

“Hey there you are!” Jeremy shouted from a table furthest into the room.

“Shit, I fucked up.”

“What? What happened? Did Nedley take it badly? Did he find out I stayed over? Is he sending us home for fear of ghosts?”

“What no.” Waverly rubbed her aching temples.

Jeremy breathed out a loud sigh. “OK, good.” He tapped a few beats on the table. “But then why are you so red?”

“Never tell anyone they’re red!”

“Shit, sorry!”

“Just forget it.”

“Is this about Nicole?”

Waverly looked at him. “Why? What do you know?”

“Waverly, you went to talk to Nedley with Nicole. And your panic apparently isn’t about him so it must be about Nicole. Unless you ran into a third thing in the last hour.”

Waverly slumped down on the table.

“So it is about Nicole?” Jeremy asked carefully.

_Where the hell have you, and your respectful ways been all my life?_ Waverly thought and looked up at her friend.

“It’s about Nicole.”

Jeremy smiled. “You think she’s cute?”

Waverly groaned.

“I knew it!” Jeremy cheered, his voice low, for once being stealthy.

“I did that thing where I thought we were talking about something and apparently we were talking about something else and now I’m embarrassed and should go and sleep under a rock.”

Jeremy chewed some toast for a second. “Or you know, you can kiss the girl.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if she likes me and before I know that an action like that would be assault.”

“Oh.” Jeremy swallowed audibly.

“Hey, Waverly?” Nicole asked, suddenly standing right next to them at the table.

Waverly whipped her head round.

“Can we try again?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Waverly said weakly.

“I want to talk. And maybe talk a bit more plainly.” Nicole’s eyes told her she was uncomfortable but her posture was tall and strong. “In private?”

“I don’t think so,” Waverly said and hated how petulant she sounded.

Nicole looked slightly defeated. More so than she had after her return the night before.

Waverly cursed under her breath and got up.

“Fine!”

She dragged Nicole out of the mess hall by the hand.

Nicole didn’t ask where they were going. Just followed Waverly up the stairs at the back of the barn and onto the loft. The place was full of dust and not much else. Her and Wynonna had found it the year before.

She stopped in the middle of the room and let go of Nicole’s hand, stopping abruptly.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked, not looking at Nicole.

“Can I ask you something?”

Waverly looked up. Nicole’s voice had changed from high and worried to low and curious.

“Do you like me?”

“Eum,” Waverly stammered uselessly, trying to think. “I-“ she couldn’t find any words.

“Like _like_ me?” Nicole asked again, her voice even lower.

When she didn’t answer right away insecurity flashed in Nicole’s eyes and it made Waverly feel braver.

Without thinking much more she reached up, took hold of Nicole’s shoulder and snaked a hand behind her neck and pressed their lips together. 

Half a word tumbled out of Nicole’s mouth and got stuck between them. Waverly instantly tried pulling away but a pair of arms around her waist stopped her.

A moment came and went.

“Shit, sorry,” she mumbled a centimetre from Nicole’s lips.

“Is this okay?” Nicole asked and Waverly’s mind went spinning.

“You’re asking me?”

“Yes?”

Waverly wanted to laugh but kissed Nicole instead. When Nicole responded she closed her eyes and one of her hands found its way back to Nicole’s hair.

“Sure this is okay?” Waverly mumbled, her lips not really leaving Nicole’s, but apparently Nicole understood her as she mumbled an affirmative.

Waverly’s whole body was vibrating with something and the feeling of Nicole’s hands at her hips burned through her shirt. Despite her need for the kiss to continue she didn’t press harder, worried that any change might make Nicole back away. But Nicole didn’t back away, she nibbled lightly on her lip and smiled when Waverly drew her fingers through her hair.

_Her_ hair.

_Shit_ , Waverly’s head caught up. She didn’t know how to do this with a girl. What did that mean?? But then Nicole drew back a bit, kissed her even gentler with her mouth mostly closed. Waverly had only kissed one other person before but he had not been this smooth.

“You still with me?” Nicole asked, not letting go.

“Yeah, eum,” Waverly said before Nicole could catch her insecurity.

She reached up and kissed her harder. Trying to see if something about it felt weird or wrong but even with her hands firmer on Waverly’s hips and her teeth a little bit sharper Nicole was perfect.

She stepped back abruptly.

“Wave?” Nicole asked, letting her go.

“I, sorry I’m just.”

“If this was a mistake for you I can just go.” Nicole looked down at the floor and Waverly hated her own insecurity.

“No, it’s just,” Waverly blurted out, stepping back into Nicole’s space. “I didn’t know what this would feel like and I’m just a bit scared.”

“I don’t want you to be scared.”

“Yeah, tough shit, because you scare me!”

Nicole’s face went from worried to smug to happy.

“I’m harmless,” she grinned wolfishly. But Waverly also noticed that the hands that had been hot on her hips and lower back were resting at Nicole’s own sides now, she made no attempt to move towards her.

“You’re terrifying,” Waverly teased.

“Wave, you’re,” Nicole stopped herself and looked up at the ceiling, seemingly looking for words. Which made Waverly smile even more.

“I’m what?” she challenged.

“Will you take it the wrong way if I say adorable?” Nicole bit her lip and pulled her shoulders up high.

Waverly thought about it. Being babied was the worst thing in the world. But how Nicole said it didn’t make it sound degrading. “No,” she said, daring to put a hand on Nicole’s raised shoulder. “I think that’s okay.”

She slid the hand around her neck and pulled herself close, reached up on tiptoes and kissed Nicole harder and this time Nicole answered eagerly, drawing her close until their hips were flush and the only room between them were brief pockets of air only used for breath.

Their movements went back and forth from hurried and urgent to gentler and sweeter. Nicole explored the skin over Waverly’s collarbones with her fingertips and pressed her whole body towards Waverly’s in a way she wondered how she kept her balance. Not to be outdone Waverly traced the line of Nicole’s jaw with her fingers and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. She felt the tape stretch over her skin where the cut was covered but she was too busy to care.

Nicole was walking on clouds back to the cabin later. The only thing holding her grounded was the feeling of Waverly’s shoulder brushing her arm as they walked.

“You know not wearing a hat doesn’t make you look cool right?” Waverly teased, fixing her own bobble hat over her hair.

“I don’t have one,” Nicole said simply.

“What why?”

Nicole didn’t want to talk about her parents but she also didn’t want to lie to Waverly.

“My allowance didn’t cover a hat and what my mom gives to wear is not ..me.”

“Bright pink?” Waverly guessed.

“More like she gives me things that her and her hippie friends would wear to a concert and they make my hair greasy, no matter how many times I wash them.” Nicole resisted kicking some snow. Instead she smiled at Waverly. “But it’s fine, I have a hood,” she said pulling said hood over her head.

“Fair.” Waverly said simply and Nicole was grateful she didn’t press the question further.

As they stepped onto the porch Waverly spoke again. “Do you think we’ll be okay here tonight?”

Nicole was about to ask why when she remembered the events of the night before.

“How did I forget that?”

Waverly pulled her mouth into a sideways smile. “Because I’m adorable?”

Nicole chuckled. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes!” Waverly adorably bumped her head on Nicole’s shoulder. “I have no idea how we are going to fight this but I am going to find out. The big house has a library and I’m going to scout it for anything useful.”

“You sure that’s going to work?”

“They also have records from previous years and hopefully someone was good enough to write down any strange occurrences, regardless if they believed what they saw or not.”

“You’re so clever.” Nicole smiled widely. To her surprise Waverly’s own smile turned into a frown. “What?” Nicole urged.

Waverly didn’t respond and it hit Nicole that maybe to Waverly, being clever wasn’t something positive. She knew many kids at different schools who’d used smart as a taunt or even a slur. Nicole didn’t want Waverly to feel anything but proud of her smarts.

“Waverly we can figure this out. And the logs are a really good idea and with them you might find out more what to look for in books. You’ll do great.” She didn’t mention how she hoped Waverly would also share the information she found. Hopefully now they’d talked to Nedley they’d be more outspoken about what’s going on.

A smile crept back on Waverly’s face.

“Okay,” she whispered and dragged Nicole inside.

Nicole’s hands were pressed against the door on each side of Waverly’s head. Waverly’s own hands were firm around Nicole’s jaw and the back of her head and they hadn’t taken more than gasps of breath in the last few minutes.

Nicole was having trouble staying in the moment. Every time she tried to focus on what was real she just got sensory overload and her head went right back up in the clouds. Waverly's touch was overwhelming and yet addictive. She had kissed Waverly as gently as she could at first but with Waverly's hands in her hair and her lips tracing down her neck it was hard to stay focused. She had pushed Waverly a little firmer against the door and Waverly had responded by pulling her with her at the hips. 

"I don't want to hurt you," Nicole said into Waverly's mouth, her meaning directed at the left side of Waverly's stomach that she had firmly avoided touching. 

"It's okay," Waverly honest to god licked her way into Nicole's mouth and she totally forgot how to move for a moment. 

"WAVERLY!" 

They jumped apart. 

"Waverly, where are you?" Wynonna shouted from the front door. 

Waverly leaned her head against the door and looked at Nicole apologetically before slipping out behind it. 

Nicole sat down on her bed. She didn't get much piece though before Wynonna crashed in. 

"Wow you alright there Haughty?" 

Nicole groaned. "Who told you?" 

Wynonna looked like it was Christmas already. 

"Rosita told Doc who told me." 

Waverly came back in the room, carrying a completely different energy. 

"Your last name is Haught??" Waverly grinned. "Do you have a driver’s licence? I want to see if this is real." 

"You're not seeing that," Nicole said firmly but was interrupted by Wynonna. 

"Found it!" Somehow Wynonna had dug out her driver’s licence from her backpack and even diving after her Wynonna had time to see the worst before she had time to snatch it from her. 

"Baby girl! Her name is Really!!" 

"Rayleigh," Nicole snapped. 

"We don't mean any harm, Nicole." Waverly sounded sincere. 

"This is hilarious though. Nicole Rayleigh Haught," Wynonna grinned. 

Nicole punched her in the shoulder and got up. "If you're quite done. I need a shower. I'm still freezing!" 

It wasn't technically true but she needed an escape, and some time alone didn't seem like a bad idea. 

Wynonna turned to her sister. 

"Hey you okay?" 

"What why wouldn't I be?" Waverly said too quickly. 

"You got attacked by a window less than 12 hours ago." 

"Oh." Waverly slumped her shoulders. 

"What's up?" Wynonna never knew what to say to Waverly when she looked like that. 

"Nothing." 

"You okay? Sure they weren't just avoiding a the drive to hospital and gave you tape instead of stitches?" 

"I'm fine Wynonna." 

"Okay!" Wynonna nudged her sister with her shoulder. "Haught is the perfect name though." 

Waverly nudged her back harder than expected and she fell on her ass. "Hey!" 

"Bye Wynonna!" 

She thought Waverly would laugh with her but if she wasn't in the mood for fun Wynonna would find it somewhere else. 

Doc had come by the cabin earlier in the morning, boarding up the window until they found the money to have it replaced. He'd mentioned being responsible for the game room and Wynonna wondered if she could persuade him to play poker. 

The yard had some kids playing some kind of sport. Mostly boys but Rosita was there too, kicking their knees and running like a mad woman. She waved when she noticed Wynonna walk past. 

"You're in the way, move," a tall guy, but probably one of the younger ones, barked at her. 

"No." Wynonna let her arms rest at her sides. 

"Bitch, move!" Another guy, one who had introduced himself with a slimy smile on the first night. 

"Dude, it's not like you put out boundaries for the pitch." 

"Just move! You're ruining the game!" The first one yelled. 

"Or we'll make you," the slime smirked, addressing the other guys more than Wynonna.

This was a good distraction. More entertaining than poker and better for cardio. 

The big guy turned back towards Wynonna just in time to receive a palm to the chin. 

Something close to a scream left his mouth but Wynonna kicked him in the shin, making it turn more into a yelp as he dropped onto the snow. 

"What the hell!" The younger boy dug his heels in and threw a fist at Wynonna. He punched her on the shoulder. It would bruise at best. 

The snow beneath her boots were slippery so she lost balance for a moment but she got upright and punched him in the face with a close fist. It was a stupid move but she really couldn't not grin. 

Slime guy stood up again and screamed as he hurled towards her. She moved aside and kicked him straight into young guy. They both dropped into a pile. 

She didn't have to look to realise a third was trying to grab her. He was loud and clumsy so she dodged out of the way, getting a small nick to her cheek by the zipper of his coat when he tumbled by.

“That wasn’t very smart.”

Wynonna wiped her cheek and turned around to phase whoever had spoken.

“You’ll just get into trouble.” It was the same boy who’d pushed snow down Waverly’s neck.

Wynonna ignored him.

Rosita didn’t. She pushed past him to kick the last pawn in the groin.

“Fighting isn’t very lady like, you should just ignore them,” Tucker said with a slow voice, letting Wynonna know he was one of those kids used to be allowed to talk without fear of being interrupted.

Wynonna was about to respond when Rosita did something even better. She walked straight passed him and looked around, pretending he wasn’t there at all. 

“I swear I heard something. But I guess it was nothing!”

Wynonna grinned.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” Nedley called from the front porch.

Wynonna stopped grinning.

“SHE!” slimy boy screamed, a hand covering his mouth that seemed to be bleeding. “She attacked me!”

“I did not.” Wynonna said simply.

“She did! She hit me in the face! THE FACE!” The boy screamed, getting up and evidently getting angrier.

“Hey son, calm down.” Nedley stepped between them.

“She did it!” He yelled and Wynonna saw an opening.

“These assholes got in a fight and now they’re trying to pin it on me.”

“And HER!” Slimy roared and pointed at Rosita.

“See!” Wynonna gestured to the boy. “Now they’re accusing Rosita as well.”

“They’re lying!” The younger boy whined from the ground.

“They would say that though.” Wynonna raised her arms and hoped it didn’t show that she flinched a tiny bit over the sting in her shoulder. “Better to say you got beaten by others than get each other into trouble.”

“I saw them,” Tucker spoke up. And for a minute Wynonna truly had forgotten he was there. “I can tell you what happened.”

Wynonna gritted her teeth.

“Everybody, go back to your cabins.” Nedley raised his voice. “Now!”

“But my nose!”

“It’s your lip that’s bleeding so if you can’t even tell that right then there’s not much wrong with you.” Nedley muttered.

Wynonna didn’t complain. She quickly turned around and walked back to the cabin.

Only. She wasn’t alone. For a moment she thought that maybe whatever was haunting them had made its way in to camp, despite all the people around. But when she turned around it was Tucker who walked at her heels.

“What do you want, weirdo?”

“You shouldn’t talk to me like that.”

“And?”

“I was going to walk you back.”

Wynonna wanted to punch this guy too but Nedley was still eyeing her and there was a limit to how much the old camp director would look away from. A few minutes previously she had been looking for a fight but now, even when the creepy feeling had turned out to be Tucker and not an actual magical monster, she felt more like running.

“Don’t do that.”

“But I am being nice.”

Something in Wynonna’s gut snapped and she turned around, her hair almost whipping Tucker in the face. “You are being a creep.” She lowered her voice. “Back off.”

When she started walking again, she couldn’t hear his footsteps following her so presumably he’d stayed put. The feeling of victory she’d gained from smacking morons around were completely gone though.


	6. Trigger Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning. It gets darker and monsters get a new face.

Waverly was feeling all the feelings at once. She was frustrated about Wynonna, scared about what had happened the night before, guilty over her actions and really freaked out and happy about Nicole. She tried to remember how Nicole’s hands had felt, drawing patterns over her hip, instead of thinking about her aching side; a look in the bathroom mirror showed she’d torn the tape and was bleeding through.

Changing the band-aid somehow hurt worse than getting the injury from the start.

“Hey are you okay?” Jeremy asked once he found her in the library.

“Can people please stop asking me that!”

“Sure, okay.” Jeremy looked like he was about to leave.

“No, sorry,” Waverly mumbled. “Please stay.”

Jeremy sat down next to her in the window and pulled his feet up, careful not to step on the heavy blanket Waverly was wrapped in.

“I can go?”

“No,” Waverly reached out a hand and touched his knee. “Stay.”

“Okay.”

Waverly was quiet for a moment, looking out the window at the snow falling again outside.

“I kissed Nicole.”

“Yes!”

“That’s your reaction?”

“You kissed the girl!”

Waverly lowered her voice. “She kissed me back.”

“Yeees,” Jeremy cheered quietly. “So are you together now? Are you gonna keep in touch when school starts?”

“Fork,” Waverly mumbled. “I didn’t think about school.”

“But you guys will be adorable so no probs!”

Waverly’s stomach turned uneasily. “We haven’t actually talked about it.”

“So you just made out?”

Waverly didn’t know what to reply.

“Oh.” He leaned his chin on his knees. “So you guys didn’t talk?”

“Nope. Or like she was super cute and reassuring and did I mention cute but we didn’t really talk about what this means.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Waverly continued.

“I don’t even really know her.”

“What does your gut say?”

“That she’s super hot.”

“And?”

Waverly grinned at his embarrassment. “That she’s a good one.”

“There you go!” 

Waverly was grateful for Jeremy being there. Her friends at school would talk just as much as Jeremy but they would listen maybe ten percent of what he seemed to do. When she couldn’t focus on the books she’d been reading and Jeremy’s battery died on his game boy they decided to go down to the craft station instead. That was another thing Waverly had never been able to do with anyone before; unless it involved hair or nails, her friends at school just weren’t interested.

“Were there this much freedom last year too, or is this due to some kind of staffing problem?” Jeremy asked once they sat down on a thick rug on the floor in one of the old bedrooms that acted as a crafts room.

“No it was like this last year too,” Waverly replied. “Stuff to do but no musts. Unless you start breaking things or break yourself they pretty much let you roam.”

“That is both awesome and terrifying.”

Waverly thought about what kind of kids ended up at the camp. Summer camp was for kids who wanted to go. Or whose parents worked too much. But Christmas camp was another deal. Especially since most of the kids were old enough to be home alone while guardians worked. Meaning, a lot of the campers probably didn’t have homes to spend time in.

The thought made Waverly miss Gus and Curtis. They had asked her to stay home but Wynonna wasn’t included in that invitation and Waverly wanted to be around her sister. They never got any time together during the semester and when they did it was always because something was wrong. But Waverly still had hope that maybe they could be semi-normal sisters.

The counsellor running the craft room was teaching two girls how to knit while simultaneously picking apart a laptop. Waverly decided to join the former while Jeremy split his attention between the latter and painting some kind of game logo on a mug.

There were plenty of yarn to choose from, and although Waverly delighted in the sparkly pink yarn that were available, she settled on a soft marine blue yarn she found in the bottom of the bag.

She didn’t see Nicole for the rest of the afternoon. Finding out from Wynonna that she’d joined a hike again that stretched over lunch.

Someone who decided to show up instead was Tucker Gardner. He had found her and Jeremy in the craft room and then decided that they would be his entertainment for the day. She wasn’t even sure that was his intention though, since parts of him seemed like he was just trying to be nice but failing miserably. Waverly had tried to ignore him at first and then being just brushing off polite to him, but nothing had worked. He had stayed put, not really doing anything but constantly talking. He was either complaining about how boring camp was or he was telling Waverly how good she was at knitting, or how pretty she was. Jeremy had tried to make him go away after he’d told her she was pretty when she smiled but he had ignored him.

When dinner finally came round and Nicole showed up Waverly was so relieved she’d forgotten about her insecurities and immediately dragged Nicole into an out of order bathroom.

Nicole only had time to dump her backpack and head straight to dinner after she got back from the hike. Someone else had been in charge of it this time and although Nicole didn’t mind, she preferred how Nedley lead the group. All thoughts of Nedley disappeared when she reached the mess hall though because Waverly was instantly in her space, pulling her aside.

Not that Nicole had any complaints.

Knots in her stomach that had twister for most of the day unravelled when Waverly reached up on tip toes to kiss her. She’d felt bad for leaving Waverly alone before they’d had a chance to talk. But also, she needed the air to think about what had happened. She wasn’t super keen on telling anyone what was going on between them but she wasn’t thrilled on hiding either.

With Waverly’s lips softly on hers, and her hands in her hair she was grateful for the privacy.

Nicole realised they should talk. With a monster on the loose, Waverly being injured, Wynonna being in danger of finding out about them, and just figuring out what they were, they had a bit do discuss. They didn’t talk though. They just kissed.

Waverly pushed Nicole towards the door and initially Nicole let her. Then when Waverly started tracing patterns on the skin between her hoodie and her jeans Nicole flipped them around. A noise of surprise was lost in Nicole’s mouth and soon Waverly was melting into her so well Nicole wondered if she’d somehow become a liquid.

The whole thing was less rushed than it had been in the morning but somehow even more intense.

“Hi,” Nicole whispered after she had to draw away to breathe as a shiver went down her spine.

“Hi,” Waverly mumbled back.

Looking at Waverly didn’t help. The girl in front of her was so beautiful Nicole didn’t know where to focus. And she looked at Nicole with such curiosity that it made Nicole wonder what she saw.

“Oh,” Waverly drew back. “I got you something.”

“What?”

“Nothing big.”

“You really didn’t have to do that,” Nicole said honestly. “You know Christmas isn’t until the day after tomorrow?”

“Shit, I should have waited.”

“No!” Nicole couldn’t believe how whiny she suddenly sounded, but also couldn’t help herself. “Now I want to know.”

Nicole hadn’t known what to expect but a neatly knitted blue beany was not one of them.

“Where did you get this?”

“I made it.”

Nicole’s brain jumped a step. “You made this?!” The hat didn’t have a label, telling her it was made in china, but it was also really well made.

“I thought since you don’t have one and it’s really cold. And you mentioned your parents not getting you things that made you comfortable and I thought about it and guessed, and hope, that this would be more okay,” Waverly rambled.

The urge to kiss her was so strong Nicole did move forward before she stopped herself.

 _Words_ , she told herself.

“This is.” Nicole stumbled on her words. Waverly had taken _time_ and done something for her, and they didn’t really know each other yet. And on top of it all, there were a monster loose and Waverly had found the time to be kind.

“This is really nice. Thank you.” She couldn’t look away from the garment in her hands.

“It was nothing really. I couldn’t focus on books and me and Jeremy went to craft day.”

“Yes but, Waverly, you could have done anything. And you made me this.”

Waverly was quiet so Nicole tore her eyes away from the hat and looked at her.

“Do you like it?” The sincerity in her question made Nicole want to laugh.

She didn’t though. “I love it,” she smiled through the tears. “Thank you.”

She put the hat on. It fit.

“You look good,” Waverly smiled.

“Yea?” The warmth in her stomach changed nuance.

“Mm hmm.”

Nicole tore away from Waverly when the smell of something fried made her stomach growl.

“Wanna head to dinner?”

“I might just go back to the cabin.”

Nicole lowered an eyebrow. Both Wynonna and Waverly had shown a big appetite since they’d arrived.

“I’ll see you later though.” Waverly kissed her once more and was gone.

Nicole entered the mess hall with the hat still on her head. She’d had her hood up all day to keep the wind out of her ears but it had only worked so well. Lucky for her the hike had been pretty slow and simple, but she also guessed Nedley wouldn’t have let her go if it hadn’t been.

She found Wynonna next to Jeremy, each with a plate of something deep fried with rice.

“If I don’t get food soon, I’ll die.” Nicole made to walk off to get a plate but Wynonna stopped her with a gesture.

“You better eat up and then take a nap, Haught.”

“Why?”

Wynonna smiled way too broadly. “Because we’re going monster hunting.”

The look on Jeremy’s face told Nicole Wynonna wasn’t making a bad joke.

“Haughtie,” Wynonna whispered and Nicole jumped awake. “We need to go.”

Nicole wordlessly got up and pulled her boots on. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep but after the lack of rest during the previous night, apparently her body had other ideas.

They’d come back to the cabin in darkness and since they had all been up late the night before no counsellor questioned them going back early. There had been a light under Waverly’s door but after Wynonna had said to leave Waverly alone Nicole hadn’t been able to think of a reason to check on her.

“What time is it?” Nicole asked, pulling on her jacket and boots.

“Just after 1AM.”

There was just the two of them in the room.

“Should I go wake up Waverly?”

Wynonna looked guilty for a second before shaking her head. “Let her sleep.”

Nicole didn’t like the idea of going without Waverly but when she walked past her door the light was still on but no sound came from the room. Waverly had evidently fallen asleep with the light on and Nicole agreed to let her stay asleep.

Jeremy was drooling onto his sweater on the couch and they wordlessly let him sleep too. It was still a bit cold though so Nicole pulled a blanket over him before they exited the door.

“Whatever happens, we don’t get separated.” Wynonna looked at Nicole with ice blue eyes. “Come on.”

Nicole got her hat on and immediately felt safer. It was ridiculous, but once the layer of wool covered her ears the sounds of the wind grew less sharp, and without her hood up she could see better.

They stepped into the snow and Nicole was thankful it was cold enough for the snow not to soak their shoes and trouser legs. The plan was to enter the woods and look for whatever was haunting them, relying on each other’s company not to get affected. It was a stupid plan but when Wynonna had pitched it Nicole hadn’t wanted to turn it down. She’d have preferred to wait for more research, but she also felt angry and guilty over the part she’d played. And even if the results so far were bad, they’d found out more by interacting with the monster than talking about it.

With two hikes under her belt Nicole was a little bit more familiar with the area and when they headed into the woods she felt more sure in where they should go. There would be a mostly frozen over stream next to an old mill a bit up the mountain and Nicole gathered that would be a good way to start. It was older than the camp structures but not too far from it to be related to the camp grounds.

Getting there was more difficult in the dark but after maybe half an hour they heard the sound of the stream.

“This is it?” Wynonna asked.

Nicole nodded.

They had forgone taking flashlights, deciding instead of relying on the moon and the reflective properties of snow-covered ground. With their eyes struggling Nicole was grateful for the sound of the stream, at least it would keep them from falling into it because they couldn’t spot it.

“Isn’t it strange that we’ve not encountered anything this far?” Wynonna asked into her scarf. “It’s been pretty eager before now.”

Nicole agreed. “Maybe this was the wrong way after all.”

A creak startled them and they both turned on their heels, holding on to each other not to lose each other.

Then Nicole heard a sound she wasn’t expecting. Before, they had heard loud violent noises, and now what reached Nicole’s ears was a whine followed by a low hushing sound.

They stood in silence for another moment and when Wynonna moved to keep going Nicole held her back, willing her to stay still a moment longer.

Another noise reached them and when Wynonna whispered Nicole understood they’d heard the same thing.

“Arguing?”

The snow made too much noise under their boots but the sounds didn’t go quieter. Instead it increased in strength.

Then a sharp cry pierced the air and both Nicole and Wynonna jumped.

“Help!”

Nicole held Wynonna firmly in place even though it took all of her resolve not to run herself.

“That was Waverly’s voice!” Wynonna argued.

“I heard it too!” Nicole muttered.

Then it dawned on Nicole and she almost cried.

“Wynonna.”

“That’s not the demon making noises,” Wynonna whispered.

They had never heard the same noise from the monster before. It was always different to each person. Wynonna had told Nicole that in the woods the night before she had heard another gunshot when Nicole heard Waverly scream.

“Shit,” Nicole mumbled and swirled around, looking for any clues as to where the scream had come from. They moved closer to the stream, more hurried now.

“Help!”

Nicole burst into a sprint while Wynonna yelled back.

“Waverly!”

“Here!” Waverly screamed from somewhere across the stream but this time her voice was clearly muffled by something.

There was a rickety old bridge across the stream, little more than a few hammered down logs with a railing. Nicole was already across it when Tucker Gardner stepped up from behind a rock and a thick collection of trees.

“Why are you here?” He said, like he wondered what they were doing sitting at his lunch table. “This is our spot.”

“Our?” Nicole questioned.

“Me and Waverly are doing an over night hike.” He said, dragging his words. “We want to be alone so you should go now.”

“Let her go, asshole!” Wynonna screamed, taking a half step in front of Nicole.

“Waverly wants to be here.” He looked at Nicole. “You started putting strange ideas in her head, you’re a bad influence and I’m a good one.”

Nicole couldn’t believe she was hearing him right.

“Please say you’re joking?”

“Why would I be joking about something so serious?”

“Where is Waverly?” Wynonna interrupted.

“She’s here. You’re a bit overprotecting but you can go now.”

Nicole launched forward and punched him in the nose. Her fist connected hard with his glasses and the pain spread in her hand, but she didn’t step back once he staggered backwards.

“You punched me, you bitch!”

“Tell us where Waverly is or I’ll do it again!”

She heard a shuffling of snow and immediately stepped over Tucker and moved to where he’d come from behind the rocks.

Waverly lay on the ground, properly dressed but evidently having been outside for hours. Her face was covered by a tight scarf that didn’t belong to her and her hands were bound together.

“Waverly!” Nicole crouched down and removed the scarf that seemed to have been half gagging Waverly who coughed once free.

“Wynonna she’s here!”

By the sound of it Wynonna was punching holes into Tuckers body. Any other day Nicole would have stopped her but just then she didn’t care.

Tucker cried out and Wynonna appeared around the bend, dark patches on her gloves.

“You okay, baby girl?” Wynonna half sobbed.

“Yeah,” Waverly mumbled, lifting her head from Nicole’s shoulder where she’d buried her face as soon as she’d stopped coughing.

Despite the close contact with Waverly Nicole felt like ice on the inside. She was vibrating with anger and confusion.

“Lets get you back,” she whispered to Waverly and gently helped her up. Waverly had seemed largely unharmed but had evident trouble standing.

Wynonna crowded past her and hugged her sister. Waverly let go of Nicole and started to openly cry into her sister´s arms.

“I am so sorry, Waverly,” Wynonna cried back.

“Can we just go?”

“Nicole, help her?” Wynonna nodded towards Waverly and handed her over. Nicole wanted to carry her but figured it would be better for Waverly to move on her own, so instead she wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed her to her.

“You can’t take her!” Tucker half screamed through a probably broken nose.

Nicole did carry Waverly across the bridge, not trusting Waverly’s footing.

Behind her she heard Wynonna start fiddling with something.

“What are you-“ Nicole started but when she turned around she saw Wynonna stacking logs from her rucksack onto the bridge, then adding smaller pieces of woods and in the end some paper.

The sound a match catching fire shook Nicole awake to the situation.

“You can’t do that!” Tucker yelled from the other side of the bridge, still laying on the ground.

“You can walk the long way back, asshole.” Wynonna started blowing on the fire for it to catch and for a second Nicole wondered where Wynonna and learned to set a fire, the next she realised Tucker had started to move towards them.

“Wynonna!” Nicole yelled, still holding on to Waverly who was leaning heavily on her.

Wynonna ignored Nicole but stood up, facing Tucker.

“You can try,” she said to Tucker who did stop moving forward.

“You won’t leave me here.” Tucker turned to Waverly and Nicole’s instinct was to physically shield her with her own body, but Waverly lifted a hand to her shoulder and held her still. “Waverly won’t let you leave me here, she’s a good person.”

A chill went down Nicole’s back, having nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the lack of emotion in the boy’s voice.

Waverly looked at Tucker for a moment, then turned her face away, saying nothing.

“I’m going to regret this tomorrow but what the hell,” Wynonna said and pulled out a flask of whiskey from her pocket, then proceeded to pour its contents over the fire and the rest of the bridge. Fire immediately caught on and even though the alcohol wouldn’t have been enough on its own to keep the wooden bridge burning, the fire had already dried it somewhat and now more of it caught on.

Wynonna shouldered her rucksack again and walked up to Nicole and Waverly, stepping in close to kiss her sister on the forehead with a tenderness Nicole hadn’t seen in Wynonna before.

Nicole was tempted to kill the fire and telling everyone they’d made their point but that they should get back to camp. She wasn’t persuaded though, and chose instead to turn around and guide the other two girls back through the woods. It was even colder now than it had been when they first headed out but Nicole couldn’t feel bad for Tucker. The walk home would stretch for as long as it took him to find a place to cross the stream and then back to camp. It would give them enough time to wake up Nedley and have him call the police.

They walked back in silence. Nicole was itching to ask Waverly questions but decided on being silent until they got back to the cabin and they could get warm. Waverly broke the silence for her though.

“Hey, you’re wearing the beanie.”

Nicole grinned. “I love it.”

Nicole still kept an ear out to listen for any footsteps following them but heard nothing, allowing herself to relax marginally. But getting some literal distance to the situation they’d just been in also made Nicole’s head swim.

“Waverly did he hurt you?” she asked with her voice low.

Waverly was quiet for a moment. “No,” she said with a voice that made Nicole believe her. “I feel like taking a shower and burning my clothes but he didn’t hurt me.”

“What he did is still psychologically hurtful,” Nicole argued.

“I know,” Waverly said fast. “But I was also stupid to let myself be taken away.”

“How exactly did he manage that?” Wynonna asked a bit to harshly for Nicole’s taste.

Nicole expected Waverly to fight but instead she seemed to shrink back into herself. Wynonna seemed to have caught on to her mistake though.

“I’m sorry. What matters is that he won’t hurt you again.”

Waverly said nothing for the reminder of the walk back. It wasn’t possible for them to walk all three next to each other on the path, so Wynonna took over holding her sister after a bit. Nicole stayed close not to lose them but tried to not listen in when Wynonna whispered something into Waverly’s hair.

It took longer to walk back towards camp than it had walking to the stream so when they reached the main house it was past one in the morning. Waverly tried to get them to just go to the cabin but for once Wynonna seemed to be the sensible one and lead them to the house to wake Nedley.

“He did what?” Nedley asked quietly. Nicole had expected him to shout and swear. Instead the grumpy, steady man looked wounded and scared.

“He took Waverly to the woods!” Wynonna repeated herself. “With a knife.” That piece of information had been whispered from Waverly just before they entered camp and Nicole had almost turned back to kill Tucker.

“He said we were going to leave camp and have a proper Christmas. At a hotel or something. Said he could make a call and make it happen as long as we got to town,” Waverly mumbled.

Nedley was silent but lead them into his office that connected to his bedroom. Waverly sat down on a chair with Wynonna on one side and Nicole on the other. Nicole wanted to take Waverly’s hand but Waverly had shrunk so far into herself that she couldn’t tell if the gesture would be welcome.

“Waverly,” Nedley said after another moment of quiet. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

Waverly looked up briefly before starring at her hands again.

“I wasn’t feeling well so I went to go to bed early before dinner. He saw me at the house and followed me back to the cabin.” Again Waverly looked guilty and Nicole couldn’t understand why.

“I was just being nice and he followed me in, I didn’t invite him.”

Nicole tried not to shuffle around on her chair uncomfortably.

“He was talking about how he wanted to be elsewhere. How he wanted to go somewhere real for Christmas. I just hummed along because I didn’t know what to say,” Waverly looked up and there were tears in her eyes now.

“Go on, Waverly,” Nedley said gently.

“He then lit up like he had this great idea. He said we should run away and spend Christmas together. I said no.” Waverly gritted her teeth. “But he insisted and then said I would change my mind once we were on our way.” There were tears in her eyes now and Nicole wanted so badly to touch her but Wynonna got there first, rubbing her back. “I said no again but then he pulled a knife. I didn’t believe he would actually do anything but I also didn’t want to spook him.”

“You did the right thing Waverly,” Nedley said reassuringly. “You could have gotten hurt.”

“But I went with him into the woods and I kept thinking someone was coming, but no one was and I got more scared.”

“That’s okay Waverly,” Nedley said, seeming to look for words.

“But I would have just frozen to death if Wynonna and Nicole hadn’t come!”

“What were you two doing in the woods? How did you realise to follow?”

Nicole felt like a hand was grabbing her gut and twisting. Because that was the thing, they hadn’t gone to look for Waverly. They hadn’t even realised she was missing.

“We thought Waverly was asleep,” Nicole said when Wynonna was quiet. “We wanted to go see if we could find some clues to the monster, demon, ghost -thing.” Nicole couldn’t believe how stupid it sounded, and from the look on Nedley’s face he agreed.

“That doesn’t matter now.” His words surprised Nicole. “What matters is that Waverly is here and safe. But I need to wake up some counsellors to go look for Tucker. Possibly call the park rangers too.”

“Can’t we just let him be?” Wynonna asked.

Nedley looked like was willing to consider it but shook his head. “You three go to bed. I’m afraid you will have to talk to police in the morning but I want you to do that once you’re rested and we have found Tucker to hear his version of events.”

“You think we’re lying?” Wynonna spat.

“No, I don’t. I think you’re telling the truth, but we need facts, and someone present to accuse.”

Wynonna grumbled something Nicole couldn’t make out.

Nedley followed them back to the cabin where Jeremy was still sleeping under the blanket on the couch. Either Nedley was too tired to mention a boy in their cabin or he didn’t care. He left again to go get Doc and some other counsellors and Nicole, Wynonna and Waverly were left on their own.

“I’m going to go get into pyjamas.” Waverly hurried off before they could stop her.

Wynonna looked after her and then at Nicole.

“Nicole, that could have..” she didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to. Nicole grabbed her shoulder and squeezed.

“We got her.”

“Yea.” Wynonna looked like she going to fall apart. “But we didn’t even check in on her. She was out in the cold for hours before we even started walking.”

Nicole didn’t know what to say.

“I try so hard not to be a screw up when it comes to her but seems I really can’t keep one thing good in my life.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

“I should be protecting her.”

“And you are.” Nicole hadn’t let go of Wynonna’s shoulder. “Go talk to her. I’ll go change in our room.”

Wynonna looked like a sad puppy but shuffled after her sister.

Once she was alone Nicole rubbed her temples in frustration, and realised she was still wearing the hat Waverly had made her. It made her feel worse too. She had tried to tell Wynonna they hadn’t screwed up but the truth was they had. And Waverly had been kidnapped by another camper. A 15-year-old boy had decided Waverly would be his … something. And that he knew best.

 _Psycho_ , Nicole screamed inside her head.


	7. Sirens and Warm Hugs

Nicole was half asleep despite trying desperately to stay awake half an hour after Wynonna had followed her sister. She had managed to warm up a bit since they got back inside but not even her favourite sweats and hoodie made her feel better on the inside.

“Nicole?”

Nicole jumped at Waverly’s voice outside their door.

“Yea?”

Waverly opened the door and stepped inside, closing it again behind her.

“I know we should talk but I really don’t have the energy,” Waverly said, her voice tired. “Wynonna is brushing her teeth and will probably be a while before she’s done with her hair.”

“She’s caring about her hair now?” Nicole questioned.

Waverly shrugged. “I think it helps her feel normal.”

Nicole couldn’t say that wasn’t a fair point.

Then Waverly was suddenly very close up in her space, looking at her intently in a way that made Nicole not just feel watched but studied.

“Can we just?” Waverly whispered and bit her lip anxiously.

Nicole hesitated, but she also had no idea what way was a good way of dealing with the situation they were in. And Waverly didn’t look scared, her eyes were bright and present.

Nicole nodded.

Somehow, they ended up on the floor. Nicole sitting with her back against the door with Waverly in her lap, kissing her until neither of them could breathe. Where Waverly’s hands had wandered the first time they kissed, this time her fingers were digging into the base of Nicole’s scull. It felt like Waverly was holding on to her for dear life, and in a way, Nicole loved it; she was the thing that Waverly thought to cling to in the storm they were in. But while Waverly’s hands were still, her body was not. Waverly was pressing herself so close to Nicole that there was no space between them. And with Waverly wrapped around Nicole so fully there was a lot of touching to focus on. Especially since Waverly pressed into her in waves that made Nicole lightheaded. She had placed her own hands on Waverly’s thighs and pressed her palms flat against her, trying not to bite down with her fingers but also letting Waverly know the want for contact went both ways.

The fabric under Nicole’s fingers soon grew warm as heat radiated off the pair of them, and while Nicole had shivered at first at the cold wood against her back, she soon grew grateful for it, or she would have lost her sense of space completely.

Waverly kissed her with warm and hungry open mouth kisses, only once trailing down her neck but quickly going back to Nicole’s mouth. Nicole tried to keep the pace but felt overwhelmed at the contact and softness of it all. Just as she thought she’d figured out Waverly’s pattern she changed it and did something new and Nicole had to stop herself from pressing Waverly down against the floor. The light scratches of Waverly’s fingers on her neck together with the soft bites and kisses to her lips made Nicole see stars behind her closed eyelids.

“Hey dorks,” Wynonna interrupted from the other side of the door and Waverly almost fell out of Nicole’s lap. “Can I come in or what?”

They quickly got off the floor.

“Baby girl, you okay?” Wynonna gave Waverly a concerned look.

Waverly just nodded.

“Well you’re sleeping in here with us.”

“I could stay with Jeremy on the couch.”

“No, you couldn’t. Because I sent him off to sleep in your room. And there is no way I’m letting you out of my sight tonight.”

Nicole watched Wynonna fidget uncomfortably, clearly anxious. It made Nicole feel guilty about kissing Waverly instead of talking to her. What had happened was traumatic and what Waverly needed might not be the same as what she wanted. One look at Waverly though, and she was convinced of the opposite. Her face still looked worried but the tension in her shoulders was gone.

“I’m okay, Wy.”

Wynonna dragged in a matrass for Waverly to sleep on in between the two beds, along with a mountain of blankets. Nicole got into her own bed and laid down with her thoughts in chaos. She hadn’t heard any noises from outside so the search party wasn’t back, and yet she couldn’t make herself feel bad for Tucker for still being outside in the cold. That guy could freeze to death for all Nicole cared.

Wynonna fell asleep quickly and started to snore quietly and Nicole was starting to drift off when she felt a dip on the side of the bed.

“Nicole?”

Nicole surfaced immediately from the almost sleep to look at the shadow of Waverly above her.

“You okay?” she asked, reaching a hand out for Waverly to take.

“Do you like me despite how stupid today got?”

Nicole was not prepared for that question. She pulled herself up to a sitting position and looked for Waverly’s eyes in the dark.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“That’s not an answer.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Yes it is.”

Waverly was quiet.

Nicole reached out to take her hand. “Yes, I still like you, Waverly,” she whispered.

“How?” Waverly asked, sounding like she had tears in her eyes. “I was so stupid and got myself into a really stupid situation.”

“Waverly, you didn’t get yourself into anything. That asshole dragged you through the woods.”

“He didn’t hurt me, maybe he wouldn’t have.”

Nicole wasn’t sleepy anymore. “He was threatening you. And you did what you thought would keep you safe.”

“But I wasn’t safe.” It sounded like Waverly was crying now. “Anything could have happened out there.”

A pit was growing on Nicole’s stomach and anger vibrated in her shoulders.

“It was his fault,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “He went crazy on you but now you’re safe.”

Waverly’s shoulders were shaking.

“I feel so stupid.”

Nicole almost cried to. She didn’t know what to do.

“But you?” Waverly whispered.

Nicole decided to answer without Waverly having to ask fully.

“Yes, I do. I still like you and I still want to be around you and I still think you’re absolutely beautiful.”

Waverly didn’t say anything.

“I mean it,” Nicole reassured. It was crazy that she had met Waverly just a few days earlier and was having such big feelings for her. And what was even crazier was that Waverly seemed to reciprocate. Doubt crossed her mind. “But you don’t have to.” Nicole swallowed. “You don’t have to like me back just because.”

That seemed to shake Waverly up a bit. She leaned forward and clumsily kissed Nicole on the mouth until she could steady herself and kiss her with more softness. Nicole had wanted Waverly to talk but if kissing was Waverly’s way of saying yes, or just figuring it out, Nicole was okay with that.

“Can I?” Waverly drew back. “It’s cold on the floor. Can I sleep here?”

Her heart beat hard in Nicole’s chest at the words but she nodded, humming in affirmation to make sure Waverly got it.

She lifted her covers up and Waverly climbed under and put herself in the spot of little spoon. At first Nicole had no idea what to do with her arms and hands but after Waverly pulled one of her arms around herself, Nicole relaxed a fraction and curled her fingers around the fabric of Waverly’s sweater. A few strands of hair tickled Nicole’s nose but Waverly pulled them aside. The butterflies in Nicole’s chest refused to settle with the girl in her arms but with every moment the feeling started to sink in more and more, and she followed her instinct to curl around Waverly protectively.

“Much better,” Waverly mumbled into their shared pillow, and Nicole’s chest swelled.

The room was cold against Nicole’s face but having Waverly in her arms warmed her body comfortably.

“What do we do if Wynonna sees this?” she asked.

“Dies,” Waverly answered.

Nicole chuckled. “Okay.”

Waverly woke up in a way she’d never woken up before. With a warm body pressed close to her own, hair everywhere and something warming her up from the inside that didn’t have anything to do with the temperature under the blankets. She realised awkwardly that she was acting more of a koala than big spoon to Nicole who still seemed to be asleep. Instead of untangling herself though, she held on tighter, breathing Nicole in. She smelled of honey, vanilla and a bit of sweat. Waverly found herself not at all minding.

She glanced over her shoulder and Wynonna lay in bed, still very much asleep.

_Good_ , she thought. She felt like the thing with Nicole was a bit too new and crazy to mention to her sister just yet. Especially since Wynonna treated Nicole more like a friend than she did anyone else back home in Purgatory.

It took two tries to untangle herself from Nicole, who in her sleep seemed keen on keeping her close, making Waverly’s cheeks warm.

She padded off to the bathroom and then to the kitchen to make coffee. That’s when she noticed the police cruiser, ambulance and park ranger’s vehicle outside.

Director Nedley stood on the porch to the big house, too far away for Waverly to tell what expression was on his face. The sun was up but there didn’t seem to be many campers awake yet, since Waverly figured they would definitely be there watching if they were.

There were no lights on the cruiser or ambulance and a thin layer of snow covered all cars, telling Waverly they had been there for a while. Evidently there wasn’t a rush to get someone to hospital or to the police station.

She glanced at the front door and suddenly felt very exposed, standing there on her own.

“Wynonna!”

Wynonna, Nicole and Jeremy all came to the kitchen after a few moments, in a varied variety of wakefulness, by the look of Jeremy’s yawned and Wynonna’s closed eyes.

“Cops are here,” she said simply.

All of them turned towards the window and Wynonna seemed to suddenly wake at the sight of the other vehicles.

“Why are an ambulance here?” Nicole asked. “Did something happen?”

Jeremy suddenly wrapped Waverly in a big hug, making her jump in surprise.

“Wynonna told me last night and I am soooooo glad you’re okay!” Jeremy said, not letting go. Waverly hugged him back and immediately felt more grounded, despite the confusion in the situation.

“I don’t want to talk to the cops,” her sister said with a finality in her voice Waverly knew she could make budge.

“We have to.”

Wynonna said nothing.

By the time they were all dressed and sitting around the table with coffee mugs in their hands they could see a few other campers walking about outside and firmly being directed back to their cabins. Counsellors all welled out from the house in the direction of each cabin. But it was Nedley who moved towards theirs with a police officer at his side.

Wynonna stiffened at Waverly’s side but didn’t make any move to walk away.

“You think they still haven’t found him?” Jeremy asked.

“If I’d known he was going to run away I’d broken his legs,” Wynonna muttered.

Nicole gave Waverly what looked like a reassuring smile across the table while Waverly stayed silent, her jaw tense and aching.

A knock on the door sounded before the door opened and the two visitors came inside, kicking snow off their boots.

“Girls,” Nedley called out, then stopped. “And Chetry,” If he had any objection to Jeremy’s presence he didn’t say so. “This is officer Lee and he needs to speak to you.”

“Hello,” the man said, holding his hat in hand politely, his stance giving a relaxed vibe. Waverly didn’t know if that was reassuring or unnerving. Wynonna was tense beside her, but Nicole looked relieved and intrigued at the officer’s presence.

“Unfortunately we have some difficult news for you all,” Nedley said.

Waverly was feeling sick and lightheaded.

“Did he run away?” Wynonna asked with steel in her voice and for once Waverly was grateful for her sister’s blunt approach.

Nedley glanced at Wynonna but then directed his eyes to Waverly.

Waverly’s skin itched and she looked away.

The police officer cleared his throat and filled the silence Nedley had started.

“Tucker Gardner was found dead early this morning.”

Wynonna, Nicole and Jeremy all let out some kind of cuss or words of doubts, while Waverly felt like her own mouth was covered with sandpaper, possibly not for a lot longer with the taste of bile coming up her throat.

“What do you mean he’s dead?” Nicole asked.

“Can we sit down for a moment?” The officer nodded at Nicole but ignored her question.

They sat down without an answer being given.

“Any of you can call your guardians at any time. I will do that regardless later today,” Nedley said, his voice deep but uncertain.

“This is not a formal interview,” the officer said, leaning forward slightly. “I am just here to inform you of what has happened.”

Waverly leaned in towards Wynonna who instantly lowered her tough exterior to give Waverly’s shoulder a squeeze. She tried to draw courage from it but her brain took the pause to over-think instead and her head was again swimming with images of the night before.

Waverly didn’t even notice Nicole getting up before she could feel her hands on her shoulders. When she glanced up she realised she had tears in her eyes and quickly wiped them away.

“Tucker was found in the woods early this morning,” the officer stated.

“What had happened to him?” Nicole asked, voice steady.

“I’m afraid I can’t say anything right now. Instead I would like for you to tell me of the last you saw of Tucker.”

“Waverly,” Nedley addressed her gently. “Tell them what happened.”

Wynonna was pacing back and forth across the room she shared with Nicole. She was so mad she didn’t know what to do with herself, and since Waverly wasn’t there to stop her she was tempted to slam her fist into the wall. One look at Nicole stopped her though, since she looked even madder still.

“Why do they need to talk to her again?” Wynonna asked no one at all. “She already told them everything.”

“There’s procedure, Wynonna,” Nicole said wearily. “But how the hell do we explain what is going on here?”

“We don’t know what’s going on here!” Wynonna snapped.

“There is something in those woods and we left Tucker alone out there, and it killed him.” Nicole spat and Wynonna wanted to scream.

“We don’t know that!” Wynonna tried to keep calm but her head was pounding. “We can’t tell the truth to the cops. We’ll just get into a whole new level of trouble if we do. And I am not dragging Waverly into that again.”

Nicole looked on the verge of tears. “Something _is_ out there, and I can’t lie to them, Wynonna!”

“Well, you fucking have to!”

Nicole sat down on the bed hard, burying her face in her hands.

“Maybe we should all stay a bit calm?”

Wynonna jumped, having forgotten that Jeremy was in the room with them.

“Screw this,” Wynonna mumbled in response. She walked out, not knowing where to go but needing to be somewhere else.

Wynonna found Doc smoking behind the big house. He greeted her with a tip of his hat and Wynonna slumped down against the wall next to him.

“So did you find him?”

“I did.”

She whipped her head round towards him, unprepared for such an honest answer.

“What happened to him?”

“I can’t say I understand how. But he seemed to have jumped off some sort of cliff.”

“How is that difficult to understand?”

Doc turned towards her, letting the silence stretch for a moment before he spoke. “The little detail of there being no cliff nearby.”

“So he was just injured like he’d fallen?”

“He was bludgeoned and not exactly in one piece,” Doc told her, like he was talking about the timetable for lunch.

She took a moment to let it sink in.

Doc cleared his throat. “He had it coming.”

Wynonna whipped around. “You saying he deserved a painful death?”

Doc shrugged.

Wynonna didn’t know what to think. She had wanted to kill Tucker for hurting Waverly. But wanting to kill someone and actually wanting them dead were somehow two different things.

Instead of giving Doc a retort she walked away.

What the conversation had given her, on top of the knowledge that Doc had no morals, was that the demon monster thing had gotten to Tucker before he could make it back to camp. And Wynonna had been the one giving him the final blow.

Nicole was back at the kitchen table in the cabin, looking out the window. Waverly had been taken to the big house to be formerly interviewed. She’d been on the phone with her aunt to allow it as long as Nedley was present. Nicole had actually tried to call her parents.

_This is Jenny! Leave a message._ Was all she’d been met with. She hadn’t seen the point in leaving a message though, so she’d just clicked the call off.

The lock screen on her phone had informed her it was December 23rd. She could see slightly sad decorations over the camp grounds with some broken fairy lights.

“It would be less sad if they just didn’t bother all together,” Wynonna said sitting down opposite Nicole.

“Do you think they’re going to close camp?”

“No.”

“Shouldn’t they?” Nicole questioned.

“Do you really think the majority of these kids have anywhere to go?”

Nicole was quiet at that. She definitely didn’t. Before her own call she knew Nedley had called her parents and probably not picked up either, preferring to feign ignorance if anything was wrong.

“I want more than this for Waverly though.”

“You know she just wants to be with you, right?”

“No she doesn’t.”

Nicole exhaled in frustration. “Wynonna, Waverly just wants the two of you to be together at Christmas.”

“What do you know about it?” Wynonna snapped.

“Nothing,” Nicole said simply. “I don’t have any siblings. It’s just me.”

Wynonna didn’t say anything but seemed to think it over.

Nicole continued. “Not to be a Hallmark movie but you should be with your family at Christmas if you can. So I can’t say I blame Waverly for trying.”

“Family is overrated.”

Nicole bristled at that. “You have a family Wynonna. You have someone!”

“And you don’t, I get it!”

Nicole felt sudden tears of anger in her eyes and she felt stupid for trying to talk to Wynonna who clearly didn’t want to have that kind of talk.

The ambulance and park ranger vehicle had gone but the cop car was still outside. She watched it for a moment, waiting for Wynonna to speak. Nicole wanted to run, to yell, to do anything. Wynonna continued to stay quiet so Nicole decided that instead of sitting in an uncomfortable, angry silence she would go be anywhere else.

Since it was light out and some counsellors and campers out on the grounds Nicole dared go outside. The snow kept falling and the temperature was at a steady low. Out of habit she put her hood up before she remembered Waverly’s hat and put it on.

“You okay kid?” Nedley asked as she stepped onto the porch to the big house. The old man sat in a chair leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee in his hands. When she looked closer, she saw it had the letters to _World’s Best Dad_ on it.

“You have kids?” she asked instead of responding to his question.

“You mean on top of you lot?” he grunted. “Yes, I have a daughter. But she’s with her mother this year for Christmas.”

Nicole wouldn’t even have considered giving a cup like that to her own father. She’d made him a card for Father’s Day once, and he’s taken it with some words of critique to her colour choices.

“Do you miss her?”

“Of course,” he responded quickly, in the same gruff voice. There was honesty in it though.

“I tried calling your folks but they didn’t pick up.”

“No, I tried too.”

Nedley was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “They’re a bit crap aren’t they?”

Nicole laughed. And the laugh turned into a sob.

“You’re doing good, Nicole.”

“How do you know?” she responded; her voice angrier than she’d meant.

“You’ll make something of yourself.” He said it with such certainty Nicole was thrown off course from her anger.

After another moment of standing there she sat down next to him. He said nothing else.

The door opened and closed as some of the staff members left for lunch but Nicole and Nedley lingered.

“Where is Waverly?”

“She’s in the house. The nurse is looking at that scratch she got.”

“Are we in trouble?”

“You won’t be.”

Nicole didn’t know what that meant exactly but she also had no energy to ask.

“What did you tell the cops?” Nicole whispered. “It’s not like you can say it’s haunted.”

“Some cops are less stiff than you might think.”

The words surprised Nicole.

“They know??”

“Of course they don’t. But some things you just can’t explain and they’re not stupid.”

“So they know it wasn’t us who killed Tucker?”

“They do, yes.”

Nicole exhaled, her breath becoming steam in the cold air.

“Why didn’t you wear the hat on the hikes?” he asked suddenly.

Nicole touched the hat on her head. “Waverly made it for me.”

“Well, that’s cute.”

“Cute?”

“Would you rather I say romantic?”

“No!” Nicole considered getting up but remained seated.

“So I guess you two will keep in touch when school starts again.”

Nicole’s stomach sank. “If we can.”

“They live in the next town over from where you’re going to school. I know you kids are lazy but I didn’t expect you to be that bad.”

“Wait what?” This was news to Nicole.

“You didn’t think to check how far apart you guys are going to be?”

“We,” Nicole hesitated, embarrassed. “I didn’t think we’d be able to stay in touch, so I didn’t ask.”

Nedley gave her a look.

“Well it’s not like I have a great track record of keeping friends!”

“Do you want to keep Waverly?”

Nicole swallowed. “Of course.”

“There you go then.” Nedley said, ending the conversation.

Waverly appeared at her shoulder a moment later.

“Hey what are you doing out here?”

Nicole was still in an embarrassed daze and didn’t know how to respond.

“Walk to lunch with me?”

Nicole wordlessly got up and left Nedley to talk to the nurse exiting the house after Waverly.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my nanowrimo project so it's a bit of a mess and I would love some feedback either here or on my tumblr @AnormalAddams 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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